second chance
by enayaC
Summary: this is a translation of the french fanfiction I published on the 50th anniversary. the doctor meets a strange girl who save him from is regeneration between 10 and 11. their meeting grant them both a second chance
1. Chapter 1: one last trip

Second chance: a Doctor who fan fiction

Chapter one: one last trip

The girl was running. Her backpack was bothering her, but she wouldn't have gotten rid of it for anything in the world. She was hopping she wouldn't be too late. She was running through fire and through the mas of people running away. She was running towards the place they came from. She finally reached her destination, and swore. Everything was so quiet now. The place was full of alien corpses, of different species, and among them, in the center of the room, were two other dead bodies. It was Clara and the Doctor. She ran toward them. Taking no care of the impossible girl, she listened at the Doctor's hearts. None was still beating. She swore again. No! It couldn't be! It couldn't end this way, not after everything shed did to find him! He had to live. She tried all she could to bring him back, but it led her nowhere. Then, she looked around her and saw it. A blue box. THE blue box. The Tardis was still there. She suddenly understood the solution that was just before her eyes. She tried the door. It wasn't locked. She entered, and went straight to the driving post. She put a gentle hand on it, stared at the central column, and talked to the most faithful of all the Doctor's companions.

"Please," she said, "Help me. I still can save him. Please. Just one last trip. For the Doctor."

The engine mourned weakly, and transported the girl to a deserted street of London, before it disappeared forever. She looked around and smiled. She recognized the Powell estate.

The Doctor, standing against a wall, was sadly smiling, and talking with his dear Rose Tyler. A version of Rose who didn't know him yet. He knew that, and thought it was better this way. No tears, no whys, no worries. He wanted to see her one last time before his foretold death, and now, he was watching her going back home.

"Happy New Year," she said.

"And to you," he replied. "By the way, what year is it?"

"Blimey," she laughed, "how much did you take?"

He smiled poorly.

"2005," she finally answered. "January the first."

"2005… you know what? You're gonna have a great year."

"Yeah?"

She smiled, and he smiled back, then she went away to go to her apartment, ending their talk with a "see you!" He watched her until he couldn't see her anymore, then turned to his Tardis and took a step in that direction. Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. He turned back to face a black-haired girl, carrying a backpack. He thought she wasn't quite dressed for the season, wearing black thin pants, black sneakers, and a black lace t-shirt. She looked at him straight in the eyes and said:

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that."

She took the Time Lord's face in her hands, and then kissed him on the lips. Then, the Doctor felt all the radiations absorbed leaving his body to go inside the girl. When it was done, she collapsed.

"NO! He shouted."

He held her before she hit the ground, and laid her slowly. He took her pulse. Her heart was still beating, but it was weak. He knew she shouldn't stay there, but he couldn't take her to the Tardis.

"HELP ME!" He shouted again, hopping someone would come.

And that how and why Rose Tyler ran out to the street. She saw that strange man, and the girl laying at his feet. She didn't take time to think, and proposed him to take her to her own bedroom. The Doctor gravely accepted, took the girl in his arms, and followed Rose, who took the backpack. She knocked at her apartment door.

"Mickey! Mickey, it's me! Open the door! Hurry up!"

Dragged steps were heard, and then:

"All right, all right! I'm coming! No need to yell!"

The door finally opened, and Mickey smith looked surprised to see his girlfriend with two complete strangers, one of them being unconscious. However, he let them pass. Rose led them to the bedroom, and the Doctor gently put the girl on it, and then stepped back.

"What happened to her?" Rose asked.

"She… well, she… I don't know," he lied. "She just came to me, and then she collapsed."

The girl on the bed suddenly started to shiver. Rose tried to get closer, but the Doctor stopped her.

"Stay away," he said.

Then the girl opened her mouth, and some black smoke got out of her. The Doctor swiftly reached the window, and opened it. The black smoke quietly flew out the window. Once it was over, the girl stopped shivering, and fell into a deep sleep again. The Doctor took her pulse, and noticed the heart was now beating normally. He turned to Rose.

"Apparently, she's getting better," he said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay until she wakes up. As soon as I know who she is, I'll leave, and never bother you again."

"Of course," she replied. Stay as long as you need. "Can I make you some tea?"

The Time Lord smiled frankly for the first time of the day, and gratefully accepted. Then, he waited for the girl to wake up, drinking his tea, absently listening at Mickey asking Rose for explanations she couldn't give him. He looked at the girl, and noticed the number tattooed on the inner side of her wrist, wondering its meaning. This number was 3642.


	2. Chapter 2: once upon a time

Chapter 2: once upon a time…

The girl woke up only three hours later. The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes was the Doctor's worried face. She smiled.

"Hi!" she said like a joke. "I'm glad you're still with us."

But the Doctor didn't smile.

"Who are you?" He asked pretty roughly.

"I'm Enaya. And to be honest, I was expecting something more like a "thank you"."

"You changed history, you broke a prophecy. This is a serious thing."

"I didn't change history. What has to be will just happen a little later! I just obeyed an order. I just added a stanza to your song."

"Why? Who's this order from?"

"Would you please give me my bag?" she asked, sitting on the bed

"Answer my question."

"I'm gonna answer it, don't worry. But it's a long story, and if you must know, absorbing a lethal dose of radiation isn't really a pleasant thing. I don't exactly feel good, and I need something in my bag."

The Doctor looked at her a moment, then stood up to get her what she asked. When he opened the door, he found himself facing Rose. She blushed.

"Hum… I'm sorry… I heard you talking, and I was wondering if you needed anything. Some tea, maybe… or an aspirin… I don't know… "She mumbled.

"That's really kind," Enaya replied. "But I'll be fine, I just need my bag."

She nodded, got out of the room, and came back with Enaya's backpack. She thanked her, and took a rectangular silver box out of it. She opened it, revealing a big syringe filled with a strange blue thing which seemed electrified. She took the syringe, placed a garrote around her left arm, and put the syringe closer. The Doctor tried to stop her, but she calmed him down.

"Don't worry," she said. "I know what I'm doing."

"This is pure energy," he said. "How can you be sure it's not dangerous for you?"

"I make it myself," she explained. "Just in case I might need it. I'm making my own energy reserves, if you prefer."

She put the syringe in her arm and injected the energy. Once done, she sighed with satisfaction.

"And now," the Doctor said, "will you answer me?"

"Yes. As I said, it's a long story, so sit comfortably."

The Doctor sat back in his chair. Enaya then turned to Rose, who was a bit paler, and was standing on the doorway.

"I bet you've overheard all our little conversation," she said.

The Doctor looked at the blond girl, frowning, and she blushed again.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to spy on you or anything. I just… heard you."

"We're in your house, miss," Enaya replied. "We would be very impolite to blame you for that. You can stay, if you want, but please, close the door. The less people hear us, the better."

So, Rose closed the door, and came to sit on a corner of the bed. Enaya looked in her bag again, and took a music box out of it. The Doctor looked irritated.

"I know that thing," Rose said. "It was in an animated picture."

"Yes," Enaya explained. "It's _Anastasia_'s music box. Someone I loved gave it to me, and I never go anywhere without it."

She turned the key five times to activate it, and started telling the story.

"It started long ago. The name and location of the place are long forgotten. But some still call it Jiranatla."

Hearing this world, the Doctor sat up straight.

"There," she continued, "lived a royal family. There was first the King, who had four children: first was the Eldest, then the Puppeteer, then the Prince, and finally, the kingdom's treasure, the Princess. In the palace also lived a sixth person. People of Jiranatla praised this man, because he spent his time helping them, curing them, defending them. He was the ambassador for another people, known at that time to be fair and very wise. The Ambassador was glad to help these people, but there was another reason for him to spend more time on Jiranatla than he should have. The Ambassador was deeply in love with the Princess, and she loved him back. However, the Princess was promised to the great goddess, so that love had to stay hidden. But one night, the princess had a dream. She interpreted its signs, and concluded that the goddess agreed with their love. Then she went to the Ambassador bedroom, and gave herself to him. She fell pregnant. When the king found out, he became furious, and banned the Ambassador forever."

"And what happened to the child?" The Doctor asked in a toneless voice.

"The king, encouraged by the eldest, ordered that he should be killed at his birth. But the Puppeteer reminded them that, the child having royal blood, killing him would make them loose their throne. So he was taken away from his mother, locked in and left to die."

The remaining colors on the Time Lord's face faded away.

"And the princess?" Rose asked.

"She was disowned by her family, for disobeying the king. The Prince was the only one that still went to her. She fell into deep despair, and took the vow to stay forever in the Ambassador's bedroom."

The Doctor clenched his fists. Enaya continued the story.

"The child's death and the princess's punishment made the great goddess angry, and she sent a curse to destroy Jiranatla. The prince discovered it first, and shared it with his father. The king ordered for a group of fourteen men and women to leave, seeking a new land. The king asked his sons to take part to that journey. Only the Eldest refused. So the Prince went to kiss his beloved sister goodbye. When she learned it all, she gave him a mission and an object. Then, she sealed the door, and started praying to the goddess, not for the sake of her land, but so that the curse wouldn't touch her sweet Ambassador."

"How do you know that story?" The Doctor asked.

"Family inheritance. I descend from the prince. And the story has been told from generation to generation."

She noticed his sparkling eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"It's just… it was so long ago… but I never forgot."

"If I'm right, that would be 700 years to you."

"703 exactly. My first cursed love…" he said, giving a quick look to Rose

"To earth, it was more than 3000 years ago."

"And what is that mission?"

"Very simple: "protect the Ambassador. At any cost. Protect him from pain, and most of all, make sure that he's never alone, because when he is, he's being foolish." So that's what I do. I protect the Ambassador. I admit I didn't do it well, but I had my own family to protect. Now, on the thirteen children of the prince, there are only four of us left. And a child. Most have gone because of me, so I come back to my mission, and I save your life."

"But you could have died…"

"No," she answered.


	3. Chapter 3: goodbye rose once again

Chapter three: goodbye Rose… once again.

The Doctor was about to ask Enaya about this strange answer, when the music box started to slow down. She smiled.

"I told you about my mission. Now, it's time I give you the object she gave for you."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

The music box stopped, and a secret part opened.

"I mean that love gift for me is hiding another one," she said. "From her, to you."

Carefully, she took what was in the secret part, and gave it to him. It was a silver medallion. He took it, wanted to talk, but couldn't say a word. He stared at it for a long moment, then put it in his pocket, and looked at Enaya.

"Thank you," he said. "I have to go!"

"Doctor, wait! Let me come with you! Please!"

"I travel alone. Better that way."

"I know what you fear, but it won't happen with me."

"And what do you know exactly."

"I won't fall in love with you, because I'm a cursed lover too. You won't turn me into a warrior, because I'm already one. And you don't have to fear my death, because it can't happen, because of something I swore. We are the same, Doctor. We are two lost souls looking for redemption. And we're both going in the same way, so why couldn't we go together for a while?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Fine," the Doctor finally said. "Follow me then."

The girl got out of the bed, and they headed to the door.

"I don't understand…"

It was Rose who just talked. Enaya and the Doctor turned towards her, and then briefly looked at each other.

"I don't understand," she said again. "Are you saying you are this Ambassador? It would mean you're more than 700 years old, it doesn't make any sense! And… why is she calling you Doctor? Are you also a medical? And Doctor who, by the way?"

"Doctor?" Enaya said.

"I should never have come here," he said.

"Why?" Rose asked.

He answered by talking to Enaya.

"She mustn't remember me," he said. "And I can't do what I did for Donna, because she's meant to meet me, and it could kill her when she will… I can't let that happen."

"I think I have the solution," Enaya said. "I can use my obedience gift. I can order her to forget that moment forever. And it's perfectly safe. Even when she will meet you, she won't remember."

"What are you talking about?" The blond asked.

"Are you sure, Enaya? Is it really safe for her?"

"I promise."

"Hey! What is this all about?"

"Tell her, Doctor… tell her everything. While you can."

He turned to Rose, and stared straight into her eyes.

"Rose Tyler," he started. "Oh, Rose, if only you knew! I'm an Alien. My planet and my entire kind are now gone forever. I'm the last of the Time Lords, and I'm the ambassador of the story. I'm 903 years old, and I've already had ten different faces. I should have died tonight, but she saved me. And you, Rose, you're the most amazing woman in the whole history of the universe. You just don't know it yet. And this year, you're gonna meet me for the first time. I'll have another face, but it will be me. And we're gonna have fantastic adventures, together. And I tell you know, because I know I won't have this chance later… I love you, Rose Tyler, from the deeper part of my soul, and you are etched in both of my hearts forever. And every day, I pray for you to have the wonderful life you deserve. And I'm deeply jealous of Mickey who still has you for himself, and even more jealous of this other I left you with. And I'll never forget you. But you mustn't remember that."

And he kissed the one he told that speech to, who was too surprised to react. Then he turned to Enaya.

"I don't want to see it, he said. I'll wait for you outside."

He got out on the street, and the girl joined him a few minutes later.

"Is it done? He asked, fixing the horizon."

She nodded.

"Let's go, then."

And he started walking to his Tardis, followed by his new companion.


	4. Chapter 4: Enaya's story

Chapter 4: Enaya's story

A few day's had passed since the Doctor met Enaya. He took her to different places of the universe. For example, he had offered her (she was always surprised of how easily they could by invited everywhere with his psychic paper) a week-end in Disneyland, Clom. They traveled through space. Now, he wanted to take her through time. One day, he asked her a question.

"If you had to choose one day of your life, where you could change things, when would it be?"

A veil of sadness crossed the eyes of the girl, and she stared at the control screen, looking at the infinite space outside.

"One day?" She repeated.

She took a letter out of her back, and put in on the control post.

"It would be a day before the sixth of June, in 2006. And I'd post that letter."

"What's so special about this day?"

"It's the day I lost my son. And when I made my very first promise."

"What happened?"

"You should know the story from the beginning to understand. And it's not a pleasant story."

"Tell me…"

"Right. As you know it, I descend from the Prince's first son. I have his power. All his powers. If I lose control, I could destroy the earth. I discovered it one night when I was five. The prince appeared in my dreams. Or maybe it was the puppeteer, as he is a mind controller. Anyway, he told me I wasn't the only one to have a gift. They were twelve other people, all around the world, and I had to find them. My gift showed up one year later. A man tried to kill me. I never knew why. I panicked. I lost control. Then, I don't remember anything. But when I came back to myself, he was dead. That's when I met my master. Kerdan Hodge. He saw what happened. He was retired from the army. An old soldier that had seen too much. And done too much as well. I felt completely lost. He took my hand, and told me to calm down and follow him. That's what I did. He told me the guy was a professional killer, and that others would come. Then he said he could teach me self-defense. And he taught me to fight. And I killed again. And again. And each time, my heart was turning harder. I had two lives. My life at home and my child-warrior life. I was… I was suffocating. So, one night, while everybody was sleeping, I went away, and I never turned back."

"You never saw your parents again?"

"Nope. I went back home one night, three years later. They were still there. I didn't come in, but I put a letter in the mail box, saying "don't worry, I'm fine, but I won't come back, stop looking for me"."

The Doctor took her hand gently.

"Where did you go?" He asked.

"Kerdan's house. I rang the bell in the middle of the night. He looked at me, said nothing and let me in. I stood there, and he presented me as his niece. When I was ten, he gave me complete freedom. For example, he knew it was useless to forbid me going out at night. One night, I met Antonio. He was standing on the edge of a bridge, willing to jump. He was a sixteen year old misunderstood genius, who just had been dumped by the girl of his dream. I climbed on the rail, walked on it, and sat next to him. He looked at me and said: "you shouldn't do this, girl. It's dangerous." So I answered him: "you shouldn't do this, boy, it's dangerous." He smiled and he said: "what are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be in bed?" so I asked: "how about you?" He told me his story. He asked me mine. I said it was late, and that I'd better go to sleep. I told him to come back the next day. He smiled again, went on the other side of the rail, and helped me getting down. He came back the next day, and so did I. He came with one of his inventions. A puzzle he was very proud of, because no one had ever resolved it. I took it in my hands, looked at it, and solved it in less than a minute. He was impressed. He asked me who I was, and I told him, without getting in the details. He trusted me, and he became my friend. Later this year, on TV, I heard about a missing girl, that the police couldn't find. With Kerdan's agreement, I went to see her dad, and told him I thought I could find her, and he told me, without believing his own words, that he would pay me if I succeeded. I asked him a for picture, and I brought her back to him. That's how I started working. I used Antonio to get hired, and step by step, I started being noticed. One day, I was hired by a man called Mark Peterson. I was thirteen, then. He saw me fighting and was impressed. He asked me to teach him. I did. I taught him everything I knew, until the day he betrayed me."

"What did you do, then?"

"I lost control. See that tattoo on my wrist? This is how many lives I have to save, as a payback for those I took, or those who were taken because of me. Every time I save or take a life, it changes. The biggest part of it was taken at that moment. Antonio tried to reason me, but it was pointless. Every night, I went out to hunt humans, until my fifteenth birthday, when I met the most important person of my life. His name was Jake. He was two years older than me. I had blocked a criminal in a dead end, and I was going to kill him when Jake came out of the shadows. He just said "will you really feel better, then?" I tried to scare him away, but he didn't move. I was surprised, and I went away. All night long, I couldn't get him out of my mind. In the morning, I went to see Antonio, and I said "what have I done?" and he answered: "you came back." I saw Jake again. We fell in love. And then, in 2006, in the middle of February, I fell pregnant. I kept working. Kept fighting. On the third of June, I received a letter. It was Mark Peterson proposing me a death fight three days later. Despite everything Jake was saying, I accepted. I nearly won, but when I could kill him, I hesitated. He didn't. He took my knife, and struck me with it, before he left. Kerdan found me, healed me, but he couldn't save my baby, so I swore I would never rest until Peterson was alive. In response, he had Jake killed, and made me accused of it"

"And… did you keep your word?"

"Yes I did. Then, I met all my brothers and sisters. We all worked together, and most of them have been killed. When I understood it was because of me, I made another promise: I said I'd never die before I saved as many lives as I had taken, directly or not. Last year, though, I died. And someone made me pay high price for my promise. The second love of my life, Freddie, gave his life for me. He was the one who gave me the music box. When I woke up, first thing I noticed was its music. Then I opened my eyes and saw the four words he left on a piece of paper for me. It said: "you have to live." So I started looking for you, and here I am."

An oppressive silence followed that story. The Doctor decided to break it.

"Well," he said. "That's quite a story. How about we go get some fresh air?"

"Yeah," she replied. "That's a really good idea."


	5. interlude: rainy day

Interlude: rainy day

The Doctor engaged the Tardis levers, so that it could materialize anywhere. They quickly landed. The Doctor ran to the door and opened it, then grimaced.

"Problem?" Enaya asked.

"No, it's nothing. It's just… raining. Let's come back in five minutes."

He headed back to the control desk.

"No, wait!" Enaya said.

He looked at her, surprised.

"But… but it's raining!"

"That's the point!"

He gave her a perplex look. She seemed astonished.

"Please. Don't tell me that in 905 years, you never tasted the joy of staying in the rain, arms wide opened, laughing like an idiot!"

"Hum… nope!"

"Oh, god! You're missing something, Doctor!"

"Really?"

She grabbed his hand.

"Come on!" She said.

"What?"

She pulled him outside, and gave her face to the rain. She started laughing. He looked at her in the corner of his eyes, and couldn't help himself from smiling, and then laughing too. She started dancing a lovely waltz, and he kept laughing, even louder when he saw the look on a hurried man's face. When they finally go back to the Tardis, she was all wet and frozen, but she seemed truly happy. He threw her a towel, so that she could dry her hair.

"However, you're a bit mad," he said.

"Just a bit?" She replied. "I'm gonna get upset, Doctor."

He laughed.

"Madness is really important in life," she proclaimed. "I'm proud of being mad. And when it comes to craziness, you're not too bad either."

He nodded and smiled. That's when the girl's telephone rang.


	6. Chapter 5: let's go to supermarket!

Chapter 5: let's go to supermarket!

Intrigued, Enaya answered the phone. It was William, one of the last living descendants of the prince. She listened at what he was saying, with an unreadable face. When he hung up, she stood reactionless for a moment, with the phone on her ear, paler than ever, as if she was shocked by what she heard.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked.

"One of the stones just broke in the vault."

"Which means…?"

"In the Manor, the place I lived in with those of my kind, there is a room that we call the vault. In that room, there is a stone for each dead child of the prince. When a stone breaks, it means that a new one is born, and that the power awaked. But it doesn't make any sense! The broken stone belongs to someone who died just a year ago, the same day I did. We have to find him."

She started a program on her cell-phone. The Doctor watched her, curious.

"Antonio created this program especially for me," she explained. "It can precisely localize a child of the prince, to an exact second. I just have to identify the gift."

She did what she had to do, and started the search. A few seconds later, she had a result she didn't like.

"Problem?" The Doctor asked with a smile.

"The Tardis is getting the data wrong. It's a time machine, so the program localizes the gift wherever AND whenever it was used. And of course, I can't ask for one precise moment. I would have to know when exactly he used his gift for the first time, and I don't have this information."

"Oh, you worked it out!" The Doctor laughed. "Come on, give me the phone."

Intrigued, she did what he asked, and watched him taking out the battery and the card, to access the processor. He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, settled it, and pointed it to the processor, then gave it back to the girl.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"Upgraded it. Now, it might not detect his first time, but the most powerful time. At the exact second. And with a location. Go on!"

She gave him a large smile, and started the search again. The process was longer, but finally…

"Got him!" She shouted.

The Doctor took the phone, pulled a wire out of the control desk, and plugged the phone on it.

"Hang on to what you can!"

The girl obeyed, and clung on as well as she could to the Tardis structure. The Doctor pulled the main lever.

"Where and when?" Enaya asked when they landed.

"France. 2013. Summer. We are near a supermarket."

"Great. We go in, find him, and ask him to follow us, all quietly. Are you ok with that?"

"Sounds great."

She stood a moment looking at him, silently smiling.

"What?" He asked.

"Can you say it?"

"Say what?"

"Your sentence…"

"Oh! Allons-y!"

"YES!" She jumped. "I love when you say that."

They calmly headed to the supermarket, but suddenly saw a group of policemen carrying weapons, running toward the shop. She looked at the Doctor.

"Doesn't seem good." she said.

"Nope."

They started walking faster and entered the building. The inside was a disaster. Several shells were on the floor, what was on it spread on the floor. They saw the policemen pointing their guns on a young man, completely panicked. A young girl was laying at his feet, unconscious.

"What's going on with him?" The Doctor whispered.

"It's his gift. He creates shock waves." she answered the same way. "Now, the gifts work with emotions, and fear is a very strong emotion. As it's the first time he uses his gift consciously, he is completely panicked, so the gift is more powerful. It's an endless problem. And these guys who point their guns on him yelling him to stop are not exactly making things better."

"So we have to handle this."

"Yep. I calm him down; you take care of the girl."

He nodded, and they tried to get closer. The policemen stopped them, but he showed them his psychic paper, presenting them as UNIT agents (which wasn't really a lie), and they let them threw.

"Don't come any closer." the boy screamed.

They raised their hands to show him they wanted him no harm.

"It's all right." Enaya said. "I can help you."

She slowly headed to the boy, and pointed to the unconscious girl.

"Is she your friend?"

The boy nodded.

"My friend is a Doctor. Would you let him take care of her?"

He nodded again, and the Doctor went to the girl to take her pulse. The boy looked at him, anxious, nearly begging him.

"She's fine." the Doctor said.

"Do you feel better?" Enaya asked the boy.

He nodded again, and had a kind of relief moan. She took one more step towards him.

"Stay where you are!" he yelled when he saw her.

"Let me help you…"

"I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't. Trust me."

"Okay… okay."

"What is your name?"

"I'm… I'm Chris."

"Right. Listen to me, Chris. I know what's happening to you, I've seen it before. You're controlling it. You just need to calm down, and it will stop."

She kept getting closer, step by step, but the young man couldn't calm down. Therefore, she had to fight against his shock waves. She was very close to him when, her concentration becoming too strong, her nose started bleeding. He noticed it, panicked more, and created even stronger shock waves. She finally reached him, and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her and listen to her.

"Calm down." she ordered. "Calm down."

"I can't!"

"Okay… do you trust me?"

"No!"

"You're right. You shouldn't."

She swiftly moved her left hand, and pressed a point on his neck with her fingertip. The boy lost conscious in a few seconds. The Doctor ran toward them.

"What have you done?"

"plunged him into sleep. We'd better go, now. The Atlantes won't be long."

"The Atlantes?"

"Their leader wants our death and claim for the throne of earth."

"What? Who's that mental?"

"The puppeteer."

"Right. I think you owe me an explanation."

"You will have it. Once we are safe with them." she said, pointing to the two unconscious youngsters.

She took her cell-phone, and sent him a silicon chip.

"Location of a safe place." she explained. "Take the girl with you. I'll see you there. We don't have time to take them both to the Tardis."

The Doctor seemed to hesitate.

"Please." she insisted. "Trust me."

He looked at her a moment, as if he was scanning her. Then he sighed, took the unconscious girl in his arms, and left the shop. Enaya, put her hand on the boy's chest and disappeared with him in a silent _zwouf._


	7. Chapter 6: back home

Chapter 6: back home

When she arrived at the Manor, Enaya's heart pinched. All had been destroyed. She managed to find a correct room, and put Chris on the bed. She put a blanket over him before she left and close the door. She headed to the vault, where she found her friends, William and his sister melody, and Antonio. She noticed the Doctor was also there, sitting in a chair, next to what she recognized as a third generation cellular regeneration device, on which the girl from the supermarket was resting.

"What happened, here?" She asked.

"The Atlantes." Melody answered. "They attacked us shortly after you left. We made it to the vault, and waited until they left."

She nodded, and pointed to the girl on the machine.

"How is she?" She asked.

"She's getting better." Antonio said. "She has been struck by a strong shock wave, but she's gonna make it."

William started talking to Enaya in the language they shared.

"Is that him?" He asked. "Is it the ambassador?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Will he help us?"

"I don't know. I didn't tell him everything yet."

"And I still wait for you to do so." the Doctor said.

They all looked at him.

"I forgot you could speak any language." Enaya sighed.

"I want the truth." he said sharply. "When you saved me, it wasn't to obey the princess. You did it because you needed me, am I right?"

"The princess order wasn't an invention." she answered. "You should know it."

"Really? And why should I?"

"Because you know I descend from the prince, and he promised you neither he nor his descendants would ever lie to you."

"So you broke his promise."

"Never. I can't. Not talking isn't lying."

"Right, then. I, as the ambassador, order you, child of the Prince who gave me his loyalty, to tell me the entire truth, about you and your ancestors."

"Very well. You know the beginning of the story. The prince and the puppeteer ran away from their planet, and ended up here. When they saw there were intelligent forms of life on it, they started arguing about the fate of Mankind. The prince wanted to live in peace with them. You had a very strong impact on his way of thinking. But the puppeteer, as for him, wanted to dominate and rule these inferior people. When the prince understood he couldn't change his brother's mind, he destroyed the weapons, sabotaged the commands of the ship, and left on his own. Now, according to the Ancient laws, in case of conflict between two princes for the control of a new land, the throne goes to the fairest of them, and the other one can only take it back if the first has no more descendants. This is why the Atlante wants us dead, and that's why we need your help."

"You want me to fight him, and you thought I would accept, knowing what he did to my child."

"No! I know perfectly well that you don't like to fight, and I know that you're not very fond of revenge. I would never ask you such a thing. But as the Ambassador, you must know better than anyone about the Ancient laws. And I'm sure that in these, we could find a solution that wouldn't lead to the entire destruction of any side."

"Why didn't you tell me when we met?" The Doctor asked.

She didn't answer.

"Why?" He repeated louder.

"I was being selfish!" She blurted out. "I was more than fed up always worrying. I was trying to run away from my problems, I was trying to stop thinking. To stop thinking for example that the father of my child is now serving the puppeteer. to stop thinking that the future of mankind relies on me and my ability to get your help. So yes, it's true, I could have told you more than once, but for once in my life, I decided to do what I wanted, and not what I should, and now, I have to pay it back. And for the short time I've been travelling with you, I've been truly happy. And I'm sorry for this."

"And how could I be sure there isn't something else you're not telling me?"

"How dare you doubt her word?" William interfered. "You know she can't lie to you, and you should understand the way she feels."

"Piece of advice," the Doctor told him. "Don't get on that. This isn't your business."

"Sorry, but I think I'm even more concerned than you. I've known her since I was five, and I can tell when she puts her heart on the table, which is just what she did for you. You should be more careful about how you treat those who really care about you, Doctor."

"I have no advice to get from a kid whose father screwed up his education!"

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT MY FATHER, IS THAT CLEAR? YOU DON'T KNOW HIM, HE WAS A HUNDRED TIME BETTER THAN YOU."

"ENOUGH!" Enaya shouted. "Both of you, that's enough."

They both turned to her, eyes shining with anger.

"Will," she continued, "I lied to the Doctor, he can doubt of me. I expect you to show him the respect you should."

"But…"

"Don't discuss my orders, William Carter!"

Will sighed, but didn't argue anymore.

"As for you, Doctor, this is my house. And I don't allow you to insult my friends or criticize their father. Don't talk about what you don't know. I'm asking you to apologize to them. Then, I'll let you read my mind, and I promise the only thoughts you won't access will be about your own future. Are we good?"

The Doctor nodded, and then turned to Melody and William.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I was furious and I didn't control my words."

"Okay." Melody said.

Will, as for him, looked at Enaya, and finally simply nodded.

"Right," Enaya said. "Now, I'm gonna keep my word."

She went to the Doctor, took his hand, and placed it on her temples. She closed her eyes, and opened her mind, letting him access every of her memory. For ten minutes, they didn't move. He was reading her mind, while she re-lived every important moment of her life, sad or happy. When it was done, there was a moment of silence, and then the Doctor spoke.

"I'm gonna help you." he declared. "But when it's over, I'll leave, and I never want to see you again. I don't trust you anymore."

A veil of sadness crossed her eyes, but she accepted it.

"Sounds fair." she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some fresh air."

And she turned away to leave the room. Antonio came to the Doctor.

"I know you're crossed because she didn't tell you everything." he said. "But trust me, she really admires and respects you a lot. Whatever you decide, please don't break her heart. She's not as strong as she looks, and she's been through a lot."

The Doctor gave him a look, and then also left the room, without a word.


	8. Chapter 7: Chris

Chapter 7: Chris.

Enaya was heading to the main door of the Manor when, passing by the room where the boy from the supermarket was resting, she saw William's cat open its door and enter the room. She silently swore, and went inside the room, not lighting it, to get the animal out. Once inside, the cat jumped on the bed, and got comfortable on the young man's chest. He suddenly woke up.

"It's all right." Enaya said.

"Who are you?" He asked with a tensed voice.

"I'm the girl you met in the supermarket."

"What's on my chest?"

"A cat."

He sighed with relief, and she heard him letting his head fall back on the pillow.

"Where am I?" he asked again

"In a safe place that belong to me. It's called the Manor, in France, Earth. Would you feel better if I turned on the light?"

And without waiting for an answer, she switched on the button. The boy grimaced, and the cat left the room, troubled in its sleep. The boy sat on the bed.

"How do you feel?" Enaya asked.

"Kind of sick."

"Don't worry, it's pretty normal. It's a side effect from the touch of the Angel."

"The touch of the Angel?"

"That's how I made you sleep."

"What happened to me? You kidnapped me!" He started worrying.

She laughed, and then answered.

"No, I don't do the kidnapping stuffs. Not my kind. What do you remember?"

"I… I was at the supermarket with my girlfriend… my girlfriend! Where is she?"

"Don't worry, she's just resting. In half an hour, she'll be perfectly fine."

"What happened to her?"

"Do you remember what happened at the supermarket?"

"I was having a panic attack, and she tried to calm me down, but it got worse. I remember police was there."

"Do these panic attacks happen often?"

"No, it's rather rare. But sometimes it happens."

"Good. I'm gonna explain what happened. You're part of a category of people with special abilities."

"What?"

"At the beginning, there were thirteen of us. Now, we are just three. But somehow, it seems that one of the ten others has transmitted you his gift."

"How? And what happened to him? Why me? And what does it have to do with what have happened in the supermarket?"

"I don't know how, and I don't know why he chose you as he had never met you in his life."

"In his life? So you mean he's…"

"Yes… Since last year. Anyway, his power was to create shock waves. You see, the gifts work on emotions. So when you had your panic attack, it was released with all its strength. It scared you, and you lost control. Your friend has been struck by one of your shock waves. When I arrived, she was already unconscious. You were so panicked that I had to put you asleep."

"How can you be sure she'll be fine?"

"We have a cellular regeneration device, we call it Regina. We put your friend in that device, and it tells us how long it will take to complete healing. Do you want to see her?"

He nodded and tried to get up, but fell back on the bed.

"Easy!" She said. "Wait a second."

She went to the next room, a bathroom, and came back with a rolling chair. She helped the boy to sit on it, and then pushed him, straight to the vault.

"Why did you have a rolling chair in that bathroom, anyway?" He asked.

"Well, this room belonged to a couple. The girl felt pregnant, something happened to her, and for the baby's safety, we asked her not to move. She said "ok, I'll stay sitting down, but I refuse to be useless." So we found that solution. Her name was Marine. What's your girlfriend's name?"

"Maggie."

"Well, that's a coincidence!"

"Why is that?"

"The parents of the one who transmitted you his power were named Kristian and Margarett. Shortly said…"

"Chris and Maggie."

"There we are. I'll leave you alone with her."

She opened the door, pushed him in the vault, closed the door and left.


	9. Chapter 8: Jafki

Chapter 8: Jafki

She headed to the Manor's front door. She was tired and wanted to breathe a bit. On her way, she met the Doctor. He didn't seem well either. She stopped, thinking he was going to talk. She was right.

"I think we should talk." he said.

"How about we go for a walk?" She proposed.

He nodded, and followed her outside, without a word. They soon arrived to a small beach near the Manor. They kept walking in silence until, satisfied by their location, she stopped, and sat on the wet sand. He did the same, and respected her silence, patiently waiting, feeling how bad she was. She stared at the horizon, and then, with her fingertip, wrote a word in the sand.

"Jafki?" The Doctor read.

"It means Magnificent." she explained.

"Yes, I know what it means. But normally, the Tardis automatically translate any written word in my mind. So I suppose there's a reason if I read Jafki, and not Magnificent."

She looked at him.

"You're good." she said. "It's made with the initials of the most important people in my life. There's Jake, my first love; Antonio, the first who trusted me; Freddie, my second chance; Kerdan, my master; and Ilian, who should have been my son if I hadn't screwed it up."

He nodded, and silence fell again.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth." she suddenly said with a strangled voice.

"No." he answered. "I apologize. I understand the choice you've made, and I didn't think what I said."

"I just want it to end! You dream of a normal death, Doctor. Well, I dream of a normal life."

"I know. I'm so sorry."

He put his arm around her and pulled her near. She let her head go on the Time Lord's shoulder, and started staring at the horizon again.

"And I'm sorry I lost control earlier." he continued. "It's just that… learning what he did to my child, and then finding out he's the reason why you saved me… it was too much."

"So you're gonna help us?" She asked.

"Of course." he said gently. "What about the supermarket boy? Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah. He's completely lost. As much as I am. I don't know how to help him. The girl is his girlfriend, and I suspect she also has a gift. They both have the same name as Viktor's parents. He was the ex-swordsman. Chris is the new one, and I think his girlfriend is the shield that completes him."

"Tell me about Viktor."

"He was a vampire. Around two-hundred-years old. He never said exactly. He created shock waves. That's the swordsman gift. He was a great warrior, fighting like a god. And a really good friend. Did you find anything in my mind? Something I didn't notice?"

"I'm not sure, but there was something in your unconscious. We need to get more information, and I think I know exactly who could help us. Come along."


	10. Chapter 9: Smith and Jones

Chapter 9: Smith and Jones, paranormal investigators

The Tardis materialized in peaceful street of London. They had left the beach right after he told her what he had found. The Doctor walked to a door, and rang the bell. He smiled when he heard the voice in the intercom.

"Smith and Jones, investigators, how can I help you?"

"Hello Martha! Hello Mickey!"

And with a "oh my god!" the door opened they came in to see Martha and Mickey running toward them. The Time Lord warmly hugged his friends, while Enaya gave them some space.

"Doctor!" Martha said. "We were so worried. Last time we saw you, when you knocked out that Sontaran, you looked so dark… as if you were…"

"I was dying, he confirmed. I absorbed a lethal dose of radiations. She saved me." he concluded pointing to Enaya.

The two humans looked at her.

"I know you…" mickey said.

The Doctor gave her an anxious look, but Mickey continued.

"I've been investigating about you, last year."

"Yes." she confirmed. "Your client was an orphan named Kaelan I saved several years ago. I have to admit you're really good. Not a few can say they found me."

"I thought I'd been discrete."

"You were. But I've been formed by Kerdan Hodge. He taught me how to see everything."

"Kerdan Hodge!" Martha said. "Are you serious?"

"You know him?" The Doctor asked with surprise.

"The man is kind of a legend. I know UNIT would dream to work with him. Do you really know him?"

"He's kind of my uncle."

"How about we come back to the point of our visit?" the Doctor interrupted. "We have a job to offer you."

"Course!" Martha said. "Come to the living room. I'm gonna make some tea."

So it was said, so it was done. When they were all ready, Mickey broke the silence.

"So," he asked, "what is it about?"

"We need information about a place called Ys." the Doctor answered." All you can find about it."

Martha looked at him, half-intrigued, half-anxious.

"What?" He asked. "Is there a problem?"

"No, there's not, we can do it. But… why do you need us? I mean… you're kind of the King of investigators, so what don't you investigate yourself."

"We think Ys is an Atlante prison. The Atlante king hates me, and trust me I give it back to him well. He doesn't know I'm on earth, and he never saw me with that face, but if he sees me, he'll recognize me. And I prefer he doesn't."

"How could he recognize you if he never saw you?"

"The Atlante can feel auras." Enaya explained. "And, being a Time Lord, the Doctor has a very special one. And moreover, the Doctor spent a few years on the Atlante's original planet. And it left marks on his aura."

"I've never seen you hating someone, Doctor." Martha continued. "Except maybe the Daleks. What's going on?"

The Doctor tensed.

"He hurt someone I loved." he said simply. "Now, he's after Enaya, and his threatening the Earth. I won't let him do that. We're looking for a way to bring him down, and Ys might be a part of the solution."

"In what way?" Mickey asked.

"When the Atlante came to Earth, he was with his brother, named the Prince. Their laws have designated the Prince as the new king of Earth. If the prince has no more descendants, the throne will come back to the Atlante. But if the Atlante personally does something wrong to a child of royal blood, the throne will be refused to him, forever. Now, it appears that the children of the prince, who are supposedly dead, are in fact kept prisoners by the Atlante, in Ys. We find Ys, we find the proof, and we bring him down."

"I don't remember going there…" Enaya said, thoughtfully.

"What do you remember, then?" He asked.

"I was with Jake and Ilian…"

"Just an illusion. Sorry."

She nodded.

"So," she asked Martha, "will you help us?

"Course. How could we refuse to help the Doctor?"


	11. Chapter 10: just very unlikely

Chapter 10: just very unlikely…

A month had passed before Martha called them back. They came to see them at the Manor. They had discovered something very surprising.

"WHAT?"

That's the only thing Enaya was able to say.

"That's authentic." Martha said. "Ys belonged to King Arthur, by his wedding with Guinevere. He gave it to the Atlantes two years after he accessed the throne. A contract was signed, in Merlin's presence. The contract said that to take it back, the three of them or their closest descendants from the eldest had to present a champion."

"Great. That's really great. No, really. So, we have to find the descendants of a couple who never had any children, and the descendant of a powerful wizard, who's himself the son of a demon, and all of that among over seven billions people. Did I get it right?"

"She's cracking up…" William whispered.

Unfortunately, he whispered too loud, and she heard him. She swiftly turned to face him, and exploded.

"No I'm not. I'm not cracking up? Do I look like cracking up? I'm perfectly calm! I've never been that calm in all my life! Do I look angry?"

This was the moment Antonio chose to send a hazy joke. She looked at him with an astonished look, and then said in a desperate ton:

"Does anybody have a rope?"

"Suicide isn't the solution." the Doctor interfered.

"Did I mention suicide?" She asked with a sadistic smile.

"Whoh, whoh, whoh, whoh, whoh!" The Doctor said. "Okay, we calm down, we breathe in, we put things into perspective, right? Molto Bene!"

"Is she always like that?" Mickey asked William.

"Oh, no! She's pretty calm, here!" he answered. "I remember once, when I was just a kid. He brought back a tank to the Manor, and destroyed half of the walls, plus the gates, just to show her. She got so mad that she nearly destroyed as many things as him. He couldn't stop laughing."

Mickey gave him an amazed look.

"Crazy house!" he said.

"You have no idea."

During that conversation, the Doctor managed to calm Enaya down.

"Right." she said. "If we have to complete an impossible task, let's start it now. What can we do? I mean we can't travel the world and ask randomly "hey, excuse me, are you descending from Merlin, Arthur or Guinevere?" it would be a golden ticket to asylum."

"I think I have an idea." mickey said. "But you're not gonna like it."

"And what is it?" Enaya asked.

"We let the Atlantes know that we know for Ys. They'll want to get rid of the obstacles to their reign. We look after them, they find the three, and we interfere."

"What?!" The Doctor squawked.

"Mickey's idea is good." Martha interfered.

"Martha!"

"Doctor, look. There's a good chance that the atlantes have always kept an eye on them, so it's the fastest way to find them."

"We're talking about putting them and their family in danger!" Enaya said. "We can't be sure to be there in time. I won't take that risk."

"Do you have a better plan?"

"We find Merlin." the Doctor said. "I have a device in the Tardis. With a simple drop of blood, you can track the entire genealogy of someone. We just need to wire it to a computer."

"You have a DNA tracker?" Antonio asked. "A functional DNA tracker?"

"Yes, why?"

"I tried to build one for years! Where did you get yours?"

"I build it. Someday I was boring. Just like my screwdriver."

Antonio opened his mouth, and started breathing like a fish out of water.

"What's happening to him?" The Doctor asked.

"He's in shock." Enaya laughed. "I think he's nearly having a heart attack."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"The DNA tracker is one of his biggest projects since I have known him. He never succeeded. He tried the last one on me. Apparently, I was the daughter that Mister Spock had with Rapunzel. And now, he learned that you did it while you were bored."

"Oh!"

"Anyway. How do we find Merlin? Some say he's in Broceliande."

"No, you get me wrong. We find him when he's alive. That's what the Tardis is for, isn't it?"

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you!"

"I know! What are we waiting for? Allons-y!"

They ran to the Tardis, and the Doctor flew around the control desk.

"Hold on!" He shouted, smiling like a kid.

She answered with a laugh, he pulled the main lever, and they were shacked all around the place, until the Tardis landed. She ran to the door.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" the Doctor said. "Were exactly are you going?"

"To find Merlin!"

"Are you willing to be burned for witchcraft? Dressed like that, this will surely happen. Follow me."

Ten minutes later, they went out of the Tardis dressing-room. The Doctor couldn't help himself laughing when he saw the expression on the girl's face.

"You look lovely." he said.

She answered with a grimace.

"I hate robes!" she said. "You can't move with that."

Indeed, she was wearing a brown robe, with a white shirt. The Doctor, as for him, was wearing colorful pants, with a white shirt and a hat.

"Who are we?" She asked.

"I'm a humble troubadour, and you're the young farm girl that goes along with me on the road. And we're going to Camelot to bring entertainment to the king's supper."

She gave him a wide smile.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. It's just I'm realizing I'm gonna meet the real King Arthur in Camelot."

The Doctor laughed like a kid on Christmas day.

"Shall we?" He asked.

"Oh yes!"

They ran impatiently out of the Tardis. They walked half a day to reach Camelot. A guard stopped them, and they presented themselves.

"Well, that's luck!" the guard said. "You see, the king receives guests this evening, and the bard is hill."

He had them conducted to the castle, where a big surprise was waiting for them. The king's guests were an Atlante delegation.

"You did it on purpose?" Enaya asked his friend.

"I swear I didn't."

"So tonight's the night…"

"What do you want to do?"

"Nothing. We must let things happened."

He gave her a surprised look.

"Let's be pragmatic." she explained. "If they don't get Ys, my friends will be somewhere else we don't know, or they will be dead. It's better to repair a screwed-up situation we know, than to create a new situation without knowing the consequences."

"That's a good way of thinking."

The girl had a look around the place.

"But where is Merlin?" She asked.

"I think it's him, next to the king."

"And what happened to "Merlin had a very long beard"? I mean, he's supposed to be old and wise, and he look like a stable boy."

The wizard (if it was him) was indeed very young, and had no sign of any beard.

"Apparently it was a myth." the Doctor said. "But look, Arthur is very young too."

"I can't believe it! BBC was right!"

"You should always trust the BBC. Quality programs."

All this conversation had been whispered. Finally, the king talked to them.

"I've been told you could entertain my guests. Show us what you can do."

They looked at each other, and then the Doctor discreetly placed a perception filter around them. He took a lute, and started playing it. The music was dreadful, and it was really hard for Enaya to keep serious. But whatever, the audience seemed to like what they were hearing. Therefore, Enaya waited to be sure she wouldn't laugh, and started singing with a terrible voice, which made the Doctor give her a weird look. After an hour of songs, King Arthur finally declared it was time to go to sleep, and offered them a room. Enaya managed to notice where Merlin's bedroom was, and went to visit him an hour later. He opened his door.

"Hello, lovely lady!" he said.

"Merlin," she answered, "I need your help."

"Is that so?" He asked with a seducing smile.

She opened wide eyes.

"Piece of advice, don't go that way with me. No, really, don't. This is not gonna work. My friend and I have something to ask you, and it's really important."

Merlin's face suddenly became much more serious. He asked her to explain, which she did, and he listened at her without interrupting.

"What proves me you're not making this up?" He asked when she was done. "Cause your story is a bit incredible…"

"We knew you'd ask for proof." she replied. "That's why the Doctor agreed to give you one trip. If you'd follow me…"

"You've got my interest."

She just smiled at him, and then turned back. He followed her. They passed by the Doctor's room, and she knocked three times. The Time Lord got out, and the three of them silently left the castle. There, Enaya asked her companions to step back a little, and made a long whistle. Wolves got out of the woods, and surrounded the girl. The Doctor wanted to interfere, but Merlin stopped him. Enaya kneeled, and put her hands on her legs. The alpha male slowly got closer. When he was near, she took its head in her hands, and whispered something nobody could hear. The wolf yapped, and the other members of the group went away. Only the strongest two stood with him. Enaya got up, and turned to Merlin and the Doctor.

"They accept to take us on their back and take us to the Tardis."

"You can talk with wolves." the Doctor noticed.

"Yeah!" she said as if it was a normal thing.

"That's your animal, isn't it?" Merlin asked.

"Yep."

"Which means, exactly?" The Doctor asked.

"Every human being is related to an animal." she explained. "Usually, it brings a kind of tenderness to the concerned species. Those who grow the link stronger win some abilities of their animal, like a better sense of smelling, for example. And at nearly its maximum, that link allows the human being to communicate with his animal. If you grow it even stronger, you become a therianthrop. Which I am, but I'm a bit rusted, so I don't really want to transform now."

"I never saw anyone with such a strong link." merlin said, fascinated.

"Took me years to get there. But don't lose hope; I'm sure you'll make it too, someday."

"But they actually can't support our weight." the Doctor said.

"If you allow me…" merlin interfered.

He whispered a spell, and the wolves' size doubled. She sat on a wolf's back, and they did the same. The wolves started running, following the direction Enaya was giving to the alpha male. Two hours later, the animals dropped them near the Tardis, and they just had to walk a couple of minutes before they reached it. Merlin opened wide eyes.

"What's this?" He asked.

"My faithful ship!" the Doctor proudly answered. "Her name is the Tardis."

_"__Her_ name?"

"Yes, it's a she."

"How do you know?"

"She told me. Tardises are living creatures, and they are telepathic. One day, she communicated with me, so I got in, and… borrowed it from my people."

Hearing that, Enaya discreetly coughed. The Doctor gave her a corner look.

"Your people?" Merlin asked.

"Time Lords. They used to grow Tardises, and rule the time."

"Used to?"

"Yeah… they're all gone, now. I'm the last of the Time Lords, and this is the last Tardis."

"Why does it have this shape?"

"Oh, that's a camouflage system."

"That's not really discrete."

"Hoi, don't criticize! The system got stuck in 1963 in London, so it's a police box from this period. Will you go in or not?"

The wizard gave him a suspicious look, and then opened the door.

"I bet you he won't say it." Enaya told the Doctor.

"I take the bet." he replied. "They all say it."

Merlin went out, and turned around the blue box.

"How is it possible?"

Enaya had a victorious laugh, and the Doctor grumbled.

"I promised you one trip." he told the wizard. "Do you want it or not?"

Merlin nodded with a large smile.

"All on board, then."

"Where do we go, this time?" Enaya asked once she was inside.

"I don't know. Where do you want to go? I think we'd better avoid Victorian or Elizabethan England."

"I think we'd better avoid future. How about dinosaur era? I've always wanted to see a diplodocus."

"Jurassic it is, then!"

He settled the buttons.

"Hang on to what you can!" he said joyfully.

He pulled the main lever, and the ship flew over the time vortex. Merlin nearly fell on the floor as they finally landed.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Behind that door," the Doctor answered, "Earth as it was long before human existence."

"Can I?" Enaya asked.

He nodded with a paternal smile, she ran to the door, and yelled out of joy when she saw a brachiosaurus quietly cross the meadow in front of her. She was shortly joined by Merlin, who looked at the scene, as excited and mind blown as she was, and then by the Doctor, who was simply smiling, as if he were used to it. They all turned their look to the left when they heard a huge roar.

"T-Rex!" Enaya whispered with a wide smile. "I want to see it!"

The Doctor gave her a reproachful look.

"Please…" She said with supplicants eyes.

The Doctor sighed, but finally agreed.

"But we're not getting to close!" He warned her.

She had to control herself not to jump at him and give him a big hug. They discreetly got out of the Tardis, and hid behind a huge rock. Merlin opened wide eyes when he saw the gigantic creature passing by them running. They all looked at it for a moment, not moving, fascinated. Then, the dinosaur went away, and the Doctor highly recommended that they do went as well. Back in the Tardis, he turned to the sorcerer.

"So, do you believe us, now?"

Merlin's face suddenly became very serious again. He nodded, and asked them what they were expecting from him.

"We just need a drop of your blood." Enaya answered. "We have a device that can allow us to find your descendant. I think if we find him, he could help us find the new Arthur and Guinevere."

Merlin gave them his arm.

"Go and fetch your device." he said bravely.

The Doctor invited him to get closer to the control desk, and popped a cap, underneath which was a needle. The wizard understood, and put his fingertip on the top of the needle, giving a few drops of blood. The Doctor closed the cap, and the device started to vibrate, transmitting the information to the Manor's main computer, with which the Doctor had connected it.

"So, what now?" Merlin asked.

"We're taking you back to Camelot."

"Can't I see him?"

"No, Enaya gently answered. If you meet him, it could create a paradox, and this is the last thing we'd need. Maybe it wouldn't, but I really prefer to be careful, now."

"Fine. I understand."

The Doctor pulled the main lever again, and they went back in Camelot. They left the wizard there, and just took time to tell him how honored they had been to meet him, before they returned to the Manor. As soon as they arrived, they ran to the computer room.

"Have you got anything?" The Doctor asked as they came in.

"Just arrived." Martha answered.

"Enaya," William said, "you're not gonna believe it."

Intrigued, they both get closer to the screen, in order to read the name on it.

"That's impossible…" Enaya whispered.

"What?" The Doctor asked. "I don't understand, what's going on?"

Enaya briefly explained it to him, and he opened large eyes, astonished.

"It's not impossible," he answered, "It's just very unlikely!"


	12. Chapter 11: the doctor meets the doctor

Chapter 11: when the Doctor meets the Doctor

David Tennant was alone in his kitchen, cooking scrambled eggs, when someone rang his doorbell. He went to open it, and gasped with surprise. Indeed, right in front of him, he saw… himself! Well, in fact someone who looked like him as a twin. He was accompanied by a young girl with brown hair.

"Hello!" the man said. "I'm the Doctor."

"No, you're not." the actor answered.

"What do you mean I'm not?"

He seemed completely lost by this answer, and looked at the girl.

"Put yourself in his shoes, Doctor. He has been you for over four years. He met his wife during the shooting of an episode, because she was playing your daughter, and his wife's father has been your fifth incarnation. To him, you were just fiction, and then you suddenly turn up and knock at his door."

"Well this is as weird for me as it is for him, and that's not a reason why I should deny his existence!"

"How do you know that about me?" Tennant asked the girl.

"Oh!" She explained. "I'm a huge fan, so thank you Wikipedia! I'm Enaya, by the way. And I must say if the situation wasn't so bad, I'd be more than glad to meet you. But things being what they are, I'm just relieved we found you first. Can we come in?"

And without waiting for permission, she entered the house, followed by the man.

"Doc, would you check the house?" She asked.

"No!" Tennant interrupted. "No, no, no, no. I don't allow you to visit my home, your breaking in a private property."

They both turned to him and looked at him as if he was completely dull. Then, the Doctor, if he really had to call him that way, took out of his pocket…

"Is that a sonic screwdriver?" The actor asked.

"The one, the only, the true one!" the Doctor proudly answered.

Tennant sighed and, resigned, leaned on the kitchen sink, while the Doctor was scanning the house with his screwdriver. The girl was looking at the alien with great attention.

"Anything?" She asked when he was done.

"We're not alone." he answered. "There is something in that kitchen."

They both turned to the actor, and opened wide eyes. The girl turned a little paler.

"Sir, would you get away from this sink, please?" She asked him slowly.

"There's absolutely nothing in this sink." he replied with the smile of someone who spotted a joke.

But this smile quickly faded away when he felt something on his back.

"Don't turn your back!" she recommended.

"Okay…" he said. "What's behind me?"

"Do you have a mirror?"

"Bathroom, second door in the left."

"Fine. Doctor, stay with him." she ordered.

She left the place and quickly came back with a mirror.

"Right," she said, "I'm gonna put it in front of you so that you can see it. Do not panic, and do exactly what I say. Understand?"

"Yeah."

She lifted the mirror, and what's left of color on the actor's face went away. Behind him, was standing a snake entirely made of water.

"Is it dangerous?" He asked with a calm voice that was trying to hide an obvious panic.

"If it surrounds you, it can drown you." she answered very simply.

"That's perfect."

"Don't do any sudden movement. Get away from the sink, and walk slowly toward me. Don't look behind you. If he knows that you see him, he will attack."

The actor listened to the girl's advices, until he passed her.

"It's all right." she said. "You can stop, know."

He sighed, relieved, and turned to face the snake, which tried to attack. The girl interfered, and caught it with her left hand. The creature turned to ice, and she destroyed it with the edge of her hand.

"I don't suppose you could have done it BEFORE." the actor said.

"Sorry sir. Not safe for you."

She turned to the Doctor.

"Apparently they've beat us, here." she said.

"Can you explain me what's going on, here?" Tennant asked.

"How did they find him before we did?" The Doctor asked.

"They must have recognized you in Camelot. They understood we knew and decided to act. We're running out of time to find the others."

"You can't." suddenly said a voice behind them.

They turned to the voice. A young man with a blue cape had suddenly turned up out of the blue. Enaya tensed when she saw him.

"Jake." she said sharply.

"Give up." he said.

"My house isn't a public place!" Tennant yelled.

None of the two seemed to notice him.

"Give up." Jake said again. "Do it for me."

"For you?" She replied. "You're nothing for me. You're not My Jake anymore, My Jake is dead. You're nothing but a puppet."

"My master wants to offer you peace."

"Well he should have thought of it before he took my friends, or before he attacked the Manor to destroy it. I know he wants me to lose control, so that he could prove that I'm dangerous and kill me in good conscience. But it won't happen. I'll bring him down, and I'll do it in respect of the Ancient Laws."

"Don't give away his offer."

"I won't give up. Never."

"He accepts to free your friends if you give him the Doctor."

She laughed sharply.

"I'm not gonna betray the only one who can help me. You will tell your master I will fight him as long as I can breathe. Now, go away. You're not welcome here. And that's an order."

He bowed to her, turned his back, and to the great surprise for Tennant, crossed the wall and disappeared. The actor sat on a chair and sighed again. Enaya, as for her, stood a long time staring at the place Jake was a few seconds ago. She jumped when the Doctor took her hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She just nodded and didn't say anything.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Tennant asked again.

They both turned to him, and sat on the chairs in front of him.

"Okay." Enaya said. "What do you want to know?"

"Fine. Let's say I'm ready to accept that you're the Doctor and his new companion. But who is the other guy, this… Jake?"

"Jake is the messenger and henchman of someone called the Puppeteer. The leader of those who attacked you."

"And who are they?"

"Atlantes."

"Is that a kind of sect?"

"No, they're proper Atlantes."

"Stop kidding me. Atlantis doesn't exist; it's nothing but a myth."

"According to you, five minutes ago, I didn't exist either." the Doctor reacted.

The actor had a short silence.

"Okay. Let's admit he is the Atlantes king. Why is he after you?"

"Many years ago, I fell in love with his sister, and she fell in love with me." he explained coldly. "But she was promised to a goddess. She fell pregnant, I've been chased away, the child has been left to death, and she abdicated. The goddess didn't like that, so she destroyed the planet, and he thinks it's my fault."

"So you're basically saying that Atlantes descend from aliens."

"No." Enaya retorted. "They _are_ aliens. They never mixed up with human population. Or very rarely."

"And why are they after me?"

"The Atlantes have an underwater city called Ys." she explained. "They use it as a prison. We have to get Ys back, and you're a part of the solution."

"What about Camelot?"

"Ys was given to the Atlantes by King Arthur and Guinevere, with Merlin as a witness. In order to get Ys back, their descendants must be reunited and present a champion. So we went to Camelot to see Merlin, and that's how we found you."

"Excuse me?"

"You're descending from him."

Tennant laughed.

"It's not a joke." she explained. "We have a DNA tracker in the Tardis, and Merlin's blood took us to you."

He became serious again.

"So I represent a threat for them, right?" He said.

"Yes indeed. And they're gonna strike back. I'm gonna put your house under protection, but if you really want to keep your family safe, you have to come with us."

He took a moment to digest the information in silence, and then looked at her straight in the eyes.

"When do we have to go?" He asked gravely.

She looked at the Doctor, and then answered:

"Now."

"Right now?" He repeated.

"Call you wife." she said. "Explain her."

"Isn't it risky?"

"Dial 940 before you compose the phone number. It will unclench a jammer. If anyone else tries to listen to your conversation, they won't understand anything."

"My phone doesn't have a jammer."

"Trust me."

He stared at her a moment, then grabbed his phone and dialed the number. Enaya and the Doctor left the place to give him some privacy. Meanwhile, the girl called William at the Manor to give several order. The actor joined them a few minutes later, in the front door.

"Can you promise me that my family will be safe?" He asked

"William is my best agent. He's the one I've send to protect them. They'll be fine."

"All right, then. Let's not waste time."

And the three of them went out to the Tardis.


	13. Chapter 12: the new Guinevere

Chapter 12: the new Guinevere.

"To the Manor?" The Doctor asked.

"No." Enaya answered. "There's a big chance they'll attack it. I asked Antonio to take Chris and Maggie to the vault. And they all will go in case of trouble."

"So where do we go?"

She went to the control desk, and entered the settles.

"Somewhere they won't think I'd go." she answered.

The Doctor didn't ask for more, and pulled the lever. They landed in a quiet street of New York, in front of a building. She took keys in her backpack, and tried to open the door, unsuccessfully.

"They've changed the lock…" she smiled.

She put her hand on the lock, and closed her eyes, until she heard a soft click. Then, she pushed the door and invited her companions to come in. the elevator was broken, so they climbed the stairs to the last floor, where Enaya opened the left door.

"Please, come in." she said.

The flat was made of a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The furniture was covered with sheets.

"Sorry for the dust." she said after a short silence. "I haven't been here for a while."

"What is this place?" Tennant asked in a low voice.

"This is the place where I lived with Jake." she said slightly raucously.

"Why did he go to the other side?"

"He's been shot. Just in front of the building. The puppeteer brought him back to life shortly after I buried him, and made him his puppet."

The actor looked away.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Then she started taking off all the sheets.

"Mister Tennant, if we have to stay here, you'll take the bedroom. Doctor, you'll take the couch."

"And what about you?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't mind me," she replied. "I'm gonna buy us some food."

She took some money hidden in a little pot, and went out of the apartment. When she came back, she had the surprise to find the place as clean as if she left just the day before.

"I've cleaned it up." Tennant said as if he didn't know how she would react. "Thought it'd be better…"

"Thank you, mister Tennant."

"David… you can call me David."

"Then, thank you… David."

"And you are… Enaya, right?"

"You can call me Mia, if you want."

Silence fell. She broke it.

"I'm sorry you're involved in that mess. I really am."

He nodded.

"Why did he go after your friends?" He asked.

"He didn't come alone to earth. His brother arrived at the same time. And because of the Ancient Laws that ruled their world, his brother was designated as Earth's King. And the Atlante can't access the throne unless his brother line is extinct. Just like my friends, I'm one of his thirteen descendants. Recently, we were no more than three. Two more appeared, now. All the other ones are kept prisoners in Ys, supposedly dead."

"But I don't understand… why did they decide to act now? Why not before?"

"Because of the prophecy." the Doctor interfered.

They both turned to him.

"I just talked to Martha." he continued.

"Martha?" David asked. "Martha Jones?"

"in person."

The actor couldn't help himself smiling.

"So," the Time Lord continued, "She dug in the Manor's archives, especially looking in the old books. One of them was a prophetic book. And in it, she found something interesting. She read an oracle saying that the last generation will bring the end of the tyrant. So she kept looking until she found something about the last generation, which is very specific because they will be born effective."

"Born effective?" David repeated. "What does it means?"

"It means that they'll be able to use their gift as soon as they're born." Enaya explained.

"No!" The Doctor retorted. "That's where you're mistaking. It means they will already be able to use their gift when it will be transmitted to them."

Enaya silently thought for a minute, and then opened wide eyes.

"Chris and Maggie!" she shouted.

"Correct. The Puppeteer knows about the prophecy. So, when he understood that the last generation had come, he decided to get rid of the problem."

"We have to find the others." Enaya declared. "That's where you can help us, David."

"Me? How?"

"You're descending from Merlin. His magic seeps in your veins. I think we can release it if we reach your unconscious."

"You want to hypnotize me?"

"I'd like to try. But I won't ever force you to do it."

The actor looked anxious, but then took a deep breath.

"Okay, he finally said. Go on."

She looked at him for a minute.

"It won't work like this." she said. "You have to relax."

She took him to the bedroom, asked him to sit on the bed, with his back against the wall. She closed the curtains, lit up a little lamp, put some relaxing music, and prepared him a herb tea. While he was drinking, she explained him what was going to happen during and after the hypnosis. He asked her a few questions, and she answered as calmly and precisely as she could. An hour later, they were ready. The Doctor sat on a chair and looked at them, interested.

"Right, David," Enaya started, "close your eyes. I want you to forget all that's around you. You're gonna concentrate on my voice, nothing but my voice. Breathe deeply. Feel your heart beating quietly. Feel the blood in your veins. Keep breathing deeply. When I'll snap my fingers, you'll fall asleep. Three, two, one…"

She snapped her fingers, and he went under hypnosis.

"That's great." she said. "Now, I want you to visualize your magic."

"I can't…" he said, frowning.

"Can you see a door?"

"Yes…" he smiled.

"You're magic is locked behind that door. Open it. Let it out."

He wrinkled his finger on sheet under him, and shivered.

"I can see it!" he said. "It shines. It burns."

A tear rolled on in his face.

"It's magnificent!" He continued in a whisper.

"You're controlling it." Enaya explained. "Order it to show you the new Guinevere."

She gave him a moment of silence, and then asked:

"What can you see?"

"I can see her face. I know her, but I'm not sure who she is."

"Describe her to me."

"There's no need, it can only be two persons."

"Who?"

"Catherine or Donna."

The Doctor held his breath.

"Ask your magic to be more precise." Enaya ordered.

He briefly concentrated.

"It's Donna." he finally declared.

"No…" the Doctor whispered.

"Very good, David." Enaya said. "I'm gonna count to three, now, and you'll wake up."

The Doctor got up, and she waited that he'd left the place before she started counting.

"One… two… three."

David blinked, and looked at her, staring into space.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Weird…"

She gently took his face to look in his eyes.

"Stay here, and rest a bit. Put yourself back together. I'm gonna talk to the Doctor. Come when you're ready."

She went out of the room, and closed the door behind her.


	14. Chapter 13 : a noble returns

Chapter 13: a noble returns

In the main room, Enaya found the Doctor, pacing in circles.

"Doctor?" She called.

"It can't be her." he said, still walking with his hands in his pockets. "It CAN'T be her. He's mistaken. Tell me he's mistaken. We can't trust his magic, because he's afraid it would be his friend. Tell me I'm right."

"Doctor…"

"TELL ME I'M RIGHT!" He yelled.

Enaya didn't answer, and sighed. Furious, he gave a big kick to one of the furniture, breaking its door. He took a deep breath.

"I refuse to put Donna's life in danger." he said. "You know what would happen if she sees me. I can't do that to her."

"I know."

"But we can't give up, and if we don't do anything, they're gonna find her."

"I know."

"So what do we do?"

"We'll find a solution. I promise."

"I know one."

It was David who just talked.

"We have to take the Time Lord's mind out of Donna's body." he explained.

"How do you know about that?" Enaya asked with curiosity.

"I asked my magic."

"You're a quick learner, I'm impressed!" She said sincerely.

"But I've locked the Time Lord's mind." the Doctor retorted. "Getting it out would mean we'll first have to unleash it."

"I can do it." Enaya maintained. "I can. I've done it before."

"Can you guaranty it's safe for her?"

"No. but what I can guaranty is that I'd do anything I can to make sure she's all right."

The Doctor took his head in his hands, and gave an angry whistle.

"Right, he finally said. Let's do it now."

He left the flat, followed by David, and then by Enaya, who closed the door with great delicacy. As soon as she entered the Tardis, the Time Lord, with a closed face, started the engine. They soon landed in Cheswick, in front of Mrs. Noble's house. When they reached the door, the Doctor hesitated.

"I can't do it." he said.

So, it was David who rang the bell. They waited for a short moment, and the door opened on Donna's mother. When she saw the Doctor, she opened wide eyes, got out and closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" She yelled in a low voice.

Then, she noticed David.

"And why are there two of you? Is that a clone?"

"I'm not a clone, madam, I'm David Tennant. I've played the Doctor for four years in the series."

"Series? What series? Never heard of it."

"That's quite normal." Enaya explained. "Torchwood controls it. They make sure no one who knew the Doctor can access it."

"So torchwood really exists…" David noticed.

"Course. And by the way, Captain Jack really appreciates John Barrowman. What is it, he say? Oh yeah! He says Barrowman "really caught the deepest part of him". That's why he chose him. Well, not officially, of course. Barrowman doesn't know him."

"Good old Jack!" the Doctor smiled.

"Good old John!" David replied.

Mrs. Noble cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated.

The Doctor took a serious face again.

"We need Donna to help us."

"What? You know she can't. You know she can't even see you! You told us the price if she does!"

"I know! And I'm really sorry! And believe me, if I had any other solution, I wouldn't have come here. But that girl," he explained, pointing to Enaya, "she can solve the problem! She's able to take away the Time Lord's mind that burns your daughter. I know you don't like me, I know you feel like I'm responsible of everything, I feel the same, but please, just for this once, please, you've got to trust me!"

She stared at him with a pursed face, and then the door opened again, on Wilfred Mott.

"Doctor!" He said joyfully.

"Wilfred!" he replied the same way.

They both hugged like two old friends.

"What's going on, here?" he asked then.

They explained him everything and he listened carefully. When he heard his grand-daughter descended from Guinevere, he smiled and said:

"I always knew my Donna was someone special."

When the explanation was done, he turned to Enaya.

"Can you really do it?" He asked. "Can you really make her back?"

"Yes."

"If the Doctor trusts you, then so do I."

Mrs. Noble sighed, but let them in.

"Donna!" she called. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Donna got up of the couch where she was sitting, and came to meet the new comers.

"Hello…" she said, not recognizing anyone.

"Hi, Donna. I'm the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" She whispered, confused. "Oh! My head!"

She started falling, so his husband and David ran to her to support her, while Enaya got closer to her.

"Trust me…" she whispered.

She put her left thumb on Donna's forehead, and the ginger woman opened wide eyes. Enaya grimaced of pain, but didn't let go, and press her thumb more strongly. She shouted out of pain, and finally took her thumb away. Then, she placed her right hand above Donna's heart. Her hand started to shine, and she got paler, while Donna seemed to get better. When she was finally satisfied, she let her arm fall.

"She'll be fine." she declared.

And then, she collapsed, while Donna lost consciousness.

"What's wrong with her?" David asked, designating Enaya.

The Doctor ran to her, and took her pulse.

"She's been spending too much energy. She'll be fine, she just needs to rest."

"How about Donna?" His husband asked.

"She should wake up in an hour."

So, they put the two women in a large bed, and the Doctor stayed to look after them. The first to wake up was Donna. She blinked, and saw her old friend.

"Doctor…" she called.

Lost in his thoughts, he jumped.

"Donna!"

He left his chair to come sit next to her, on the bed, and took her hand.

"How do you feel?" He asked, concerned.

She sat on the bed.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We had to take away the Time Lord's mind inside you."

"I had a Time Lord's mind?"

"It was burning you so I had to lock him up and block your memory."

"Okay. I remember, now."

"This is all my fault." he said raucously.

He looked away. Feeling his pain, the ginger woman took him in her arms. Then, he started to cry for good, so she held him strongly, rocking him and stroking his hair in a maternal way.

"Hoi, space man, you don't need to get that bad…" she gently said.

And she kept rocking him until he calmed down.

"Is she your new companion?" She asked then, pointing to Enaya.

"Let's say we're travelling together for a while. I owe her a lot."

"Really?"

"She saved my life, and now she brought you back."

"Why did she, Doctor?"

Once again, he looked away, but she took his face and forced him to look at her, putting all the kindness she had for him in her eyes.

"I need your help, Donna." he finally admitted.

"What for?"

So he told her the entire story, without forgetting any detail.

"You can count on me." she said when he was done.

This was when Enaya woke up. The Doctor smiled at her.

"You're making a habit of this." he said.

"Of what?"

"Saving a life by absorbing something dangerous and staying unconscious for hours."

"Yeah… maybe I should stop doing this."

"Maybe, yes."

She laughed, and asked:

"Can you give me a syringe, please?"

"You should take some rest."

"Negative. I slept too much. Let's not waste our time."

"Can't agree more." Donna said. "Let's go and kick some Atlante's bottom."

The Doctor gave Enaya a syringe so that she could get her energy back, and she got up, as Donna did. They got out of the room, and found the others in the living room, waiting around a cup of coffee. When he saw them, David immediately joined them, while Donna headed to her husband.

"Got to go, love." she said. "The Doctor needs me, but I promise I won't be too long."

And she kissed him.

"What are you gonna do?" He asked.

"Find king Arthur." she replied. "Punish bad people, save innocents; put justice back in place… and a lot of running. It's madness how much you run when you travel with the Doctor… and god, I missed it!"

"Go on, my girl!" Wilfred shouted with enthusiasm. "Go save the world, that's my Donna!"

"Thank you grandpa!"

Then she joined the others, and looked at them.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" She asked. "Let's move on!"

"Can I say it?" David asked.

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"ALLONS-Y!" The actor shouted.

And they went out of the house, to get in the Tardis.


	15. Chapter 14: the maze of death

Chapter 14: the maze of death

They went back to Enaya's flat, and a week passed without them making any progress. Although, this week wasn't completely a waste, as Enaya taught David how to use his magic. But beside all their efforts, the actor never found out where was Arthur's descendant, so they decided to go back to the manor, and try to see if no information was hidden in the library's books. At the very second they entered the Tardis, the doors locked, and, without the Doctor touching any controls, the engine started working. The Doctor ran to the control desk, and tried to push a few buttons.

"I don't have control anymore!" He announced.

"Oh no!" David reacted. "Oh no, no, no, no, no!"

He started walking round in the Tardis, and then sat against a wall. Donna watched his game.

"He's not used to your Tardis's whims, is he?" She asked the Doctor.

"This is not a whim from my ship. The Atlantes have taken control."

"Don't you say that!" David ordered.

"Cool off, Dadouchky, we're gonna be just fine!" Enaya sighed.

David looked at her.

"What did you just call me?" He asked after a short silence.

Enaya blushed.

"Yeah, right, sorry. You just remind me of a friend. It was his nickname."

"Well, never call me like that again, right?"

"Promise."

Then, the engine suddenly stopped.

"Where are we?" David asked.

"Middle of Atlantic." the Doctor answered after a quick look on the monitor.

"Atlantis?"

"Nope. Right on top of it. What are they waiting for?"

"They're toying with us." Enaya said darkly.

"Doctor!" Donna called.

Her eyes were still fixed on the monitor. The Doctor went back to her, and put his glasses on.

"They're sending us something." she continued.

"Something big." the Doctor completed. "Big and alive."

"Leviathan…" David whispered.

"Actually, a kraken." Enaya corrected. "He's sending his monster to get rid of us, in a way that looks like an accident. Clever him!"

David had a nervous laugh.

"And you still think we're gonna be okay?" He asked.

At the moment he pronounced these words, they felt a huge jolt, saw a flashing white light, and lost consciousness.

When she woke up, Donna was alone, between four plant walls. She concluded she was in some sort of maze. She didn't panic, and started waiting, thinking that there was a reason for her to be here and still alive.

When David opened his eyes, he had a moment of panic observing that he couldn't see anything. Touching his face, he noticed that he had some kind of metal mask around his eyes, blinding him. He hastily passed his fingers around it, and found a small lock on it. Then, he started searching frenetically around him, and finally found a small key. He grasped it eagerly and, with his hands shaking, managed to unlock the mask. When he saw where he was, he instantly regretted he took it off, and let out an anguished groan. The room he was in was completely white, tiny, and so low that he could touch the ceiling without getting up. He tried his hardest to calm down, as there was nothing he could do but wait and hope this would end soon.

The first thing Enaya felt when she came back to consciousness was an intense pain in her shoulders. She decided then to open her eyes, and understood why. She was tied up, in the same position as if she was crucified. Her wrists and ankles were held by some kind of metal bracelets. She tried to move, unsuccessfully, and then decided she couldn't do anything, closed her eyes, and started meditating.

The first thing the Doctor did when he opened his eyes was to start talking:

"Oh!" he said. "Hello, you! You're magnificent, you know? But what exactly are you?"

Indeed, in front of him was a gigantic snake. He tried to move to the left, but the snake's head followed him, looking furious.

"Okay. No move, I get this."

Then he started to talk to himself, guessing he had been teleported, wondering what happened to his dear Tardis and to his fellow companions, and finishing by asking himself where he was. Suddenly, a voice got out of the blue.

"Hello, my dear friends! I'm glad to see you've all woken up. Let me introduce myself: I am the Game Lord. Your game was over, but I've decided to give you another chance. Welcome to the Maze of Death! Each of you will have to find an item, which will be indicated to you on a scroll at the entrance of the maze. Of course, you'll also have to find your way out. The four items will form a key to get out. If you succeed, you will be rewarded with a precious help in your game. But if any of you fall, you'll be immediately sent back to the Atlantes, where your ship already is. In an instant, you will enter the maze. But beware. I filled it with traps, and I know your deepest fears. Good luck, and might the game begin!"

At the moment the voice stopped, the snake withdrew, the bracelets retracted themselves, a wall of the white room slid, and one of the plant wall caught fire, and was reduced to ashes. They all quickly entered the maze, and found their scrolls. On Donna's one were represented two black pearls. Enaya's one showed a bird, and the Doctor had a set of flames on his one. As for David, he thought at first sight that it was a joke. Indeed, the drawing on his scroll represented… a wand. He closed his eyes, and as Enaya taught him, asked his magic to guide him, and started walking. Donna, as for her, spent the first fifteen minutes wandering in the maze, until she reached a crossway with a few statues. On the edge of the way, she saw the two little black pearls she was supposed to find. She bent to take it, and screamed as she stood up straight. Indeed, one of the statues had moved, and was about to attack her. At this very moment, David arrived.

"Keep watching it!" he said. "Don't blink, keep watching it."

"Doctor?"

"No, it's David."

"What is that thing?"

"Weeping angel. It can move when you don't see it. Keep staring at it, but don't look in the eyes."

He ran to another part of the maze, and came back a quickly, carrying a human-sized mirror, that he placed in front of the angel.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked.

"Trapping it. See, everything that is an image of an angel becomes an angel itself. Now, the two angels are facing each other, so they can see each other, so they can't move."

"And how do you know that?"

"I've kept watching the show after I stopped being the Doctor. We need something to hold the mirror."

Donna looked around, and saw a little column.

"Would that do?"

David watched what she was pointing at.

"Hold the mirror, he said"

And he went to take the column, and then placed it behind the mirror. He noticed the two little pearls Donna was holding in her hand.

"Did you find your item?"

She nodded, and put it in her pocket.

" let's move on!" David said, tensed.

They went around the mirror, and walk to the last part of the crossway none of them had visited yet.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was moving in the maze, looking for his item. Suddenly, he saw something shining on a bronze plate. It was a reflection. He headed to the opposite direction from the plate, which lead him… to another plate. Following the reflections, he ended up in front of a dark room. Listening carefully, he heard a humming.

"Vashta Neradas…" he whispered.

He took a deep breath. Vashta Neradas was the only creatures he couldn't defeat or reason with. He remembered far too well what had happen in the Library. He noticed a light orb at the entrance of the room, searched in his pockets, and then swore when he couldn't find his sonic screwdriver. However, he decided that he had no choice. He lit the orb, and ran into the room, until he reached his item. At the very instant he grabbed it, the humming stopped, and light filled the room. The Doctor understood he had been pranked. He started laughing, and couldn't help himself feeling a kind of respect for the Game Lord. When he went out of the room, he met Enaya.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"I've been fooled. Not anyone can do that. Do you have your item?"

"Not yet."

"Let's not waste our time, then."

They continued together, and shortly after, they reached a water point. The Doctor saw a small passage under the rock, and they concluded that it would lead them to another part of the maze, where they hoped to find the way out. The Doctor went first, and grimaced when he entered the cold water. Enaya followed him, but stumbled and found herself submerged. At that instant, memories overwhelmed her head. The Doctor caught her and got her back to the surface.

"Enaya? Are you all right?"

"I was there, Doctor. I was in Ys."

"Let me see."

He took her head in his hands, and she shared her memories with him. He saw her locked in an underwater cage, asleep. He made out that there were other cages around her. She suddenly woke up, and fought to get free. Then, he saw an Atlante swimming toward her to splash her with a purple liquid, and she fell asleep again. Then the Atlante put his forehead on the girl's one, blocking her memory of the event.

"Right." the Doctor said. "You'll be fine."

"Doctor, why do I remember?"

"You being under cold water must have prompted your memory. Are you okay?"

"I never died, Doctor… none of us did… what have they done to us?"

The Doctor held her in his arms to reassure her.

"We'd better go, before we freeze." he finally said.

She nodded, and followed him to the other side of the lake.

Meanwhile, David and Donna had also reached a difficult part.

"I can't." David declared.

They had been following his instinct, and were now standing at the entrance of a narrow tunnel.

"Are you sure your item is in there?"

He nodded and gave a whimper.

"Then you have to go."

He shook his head.

"I can't. I can't go down there, I'm claustrophobic!" he said without breathing.

"How did you do, then, in the library? The access to CAL the Doctor used to save professor Song wasn't larger than this…"

"The producers knew it. So they've decided that there was only one access to CAL and that I would run fast. Can't you go for me?"

She looked at him for a moment, then sighed, and tried to put her arm in the tunnel. A force shield rejected her.

"Maybe I can't go either?" David proposed with hope

She gently took his arm, and guided it to the tunnel entrance. The force shield didn't stop him. he gave her a panicked look.

"Listen to me." she softly ordered. "I know you're scared, and I know you wish you'd never got involved in this. Trust me, I felt exactly the same when the Doctor entered my life. But now, here we are, and we've got to keep going. You have no choice. If you want to go back home, you must get in that tunnel, and find your item."

He didn't answer, and she understood that he knew it as well.

"I can't go down with you.' she kindly finished. "But I'll be there, with you. I'll talk to you. Right?"

He looked at her.

"I'm so scared…" he whispered.

She gently squeezed his hand.

"I don't suppose I have the choice?" he continued.

She shook her head, so he took a deep breath and went down in the narrow tunnel. As she promised, Donna talked to him.

"So, you've been the Doctor in a TV show?"

"Yes. For four years."

"Was I in it?"

"Of course. You first appeared on your wedding day with Lance, and then you came back on the case with Mrs. Foster and the adipose thing. And I've finished my time on your new wedding."

"And who was it that played me, if I might ask?"

"Her name is Catherine Tate. She's an awesome actress!"

"Catherine Tate? Are you kidding me? I'm flattered!"

"You know her?"

"I'm a big fan! I used to follow her show. She's a real chameleon. I mean, she played a bald gay man! Honestly I didn't believe it was her. Do you see anything?"

"I think I've reached it…"

He stretched his arm and finally got his item. He then tried to turn around, in order to get out.

"Oh god!" He yelled.

"David?" Donna called. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

"There's not enough space, I can't turn around!" He panicked. "I can't come back… I can't come back!"

"David, calm down. Try to go further."

"I can't, it's a dead-end!"

"Then you have to move back."

He swore, but did what she said.

"Please talk to me!" he begged.

So she talked to him, not to distract him, this time, but to encourage him. Overcoming his fear he started slowly to get back to the surface. When he finally reached fresh air, he took a large breath, and tried to pull himself back together. Donna noticed how much his hands were shaking.

"Come here!" she said.

And she took him in her arms.

"It's okay…" she said. "It's over, now."

"Can we take a break?" The actor asked.

"Right. Let's take a break."

He sighed with relief, and tried to calm down. Donna, as for her, kept him in her arms, and as she had done for the Doctor, she talked to him in a low voice, trying to reassure him. They stood that way for a moment, until the actor had recovered a bit, and then Donna proposed that they started back looking for the exit of the maze.

"Yeah." he said. "Good idea, let's get out of here. Sorry for that."

"Don't apologize. It's all right."

And they started walking again, looking for a way out. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Enaya had reach a huge arch, behind which was a room filled with mirrors. Enaya noticed a word engraved on the arch: Alice. They entered the mirrors room. In one of them, Enaya saw the reflection of her item. She turned back and faced… another mirror, reflection of the other one. She smiled.

"Doctor? Which one would you say is the real one?"

"I must get old, I don't understand…"

"Just as Alice did, I have to cross the mirror. But the question is: what mirror? One of these two contains my item, the other is just an ordinary mirror. So, which one is the real one?"

"I bet you have an idea."

"One is an ordinary mirror; the other is a kind of doorway. Let's see which one I can cross."

She touched the two mirrors, and nothing happened. Puzzled, she looked around her, and finally saw a little altar, on which was a small mirror. She suddenly got pale.

"Enaya?" The Doctor called.

"I have to pay…" she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what we call an Ende mirror." she explained, showing the mirror. "I used it several times on other people. We have a stock of it back in the manor."

"Ende mirror. Like the author of the Never Ending Story?"

"Exactly. In a part of the book, the main character uses a mirror to lock one of his memories inside, so that he could get it back later. Here, it works quite the same. I have to give an important memory and lock it in the mirror, and then I can pass."

"And what if the memory comes back by force?"

"Then, this is bye-bye. I could last twenty minutes if I'm very good. The only way to get me back would be to make me look inside again."

"I can do it for you."

"No way. We have to play by the rules. It's our only chance to get out."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault. Now hush. I need to concentrate."

"Do you know what it reminds me of?"

"What?"

"The library. Situation is quite the same. I don't know where Donna is, or if she's alive, you're about to do something dangerous to get us out of that mess, and when I try to stop you from doing this, you tell me to shut up."

"You feel responsible about Professor Song?"

"God, yes. And I don't even know who she is."

"Don't worry. You'll know very soon. You'll see her again. As for me, don't worry. I don't intend to die today."

The Doctor nodded and stopped talking. Enaya took the small mirror, held it in her hand and stared at it for a moment, then placed it back on the altar. Instantly, the mirror on her left became wrinkled to let her cross. She headed that way, then hesitated a moment, before she entered the doorway. On the other side, she noticed she couldn't see anything. She took a flash lamp from her pocket, and tried to light the room, unsuccessfully.

"Doctor?" She called. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." he answered from what seemed far away. "And I can see you in the other mirror."

"That's good news, because as for me, I can't see a thing. Can you guide me?"

So he started shouting directions at her. That's why, when they found him, Donna and David wondered if he hadn't gone mad, and then started to wonder the same thing for them, when they saw Enaya in the mirror.

"How can she be in there?" David asked, touching the surface of the mirror.

"She's not. She's in the other one. The fake one. It's a doorway to her item. But she can't see anything so I'm guiding her."

"Doctor?" She asked. "Am I there?"

"Nearly!" David said. "Three steps to your right and you'll have it."

"David?"

"That's me. How did you know?"

"There are some tiny differences in both of your voices. Is Donna with you?"

"Yep. And we both have our items."

"Great. So there mine is the only one left to fine, then. Three steps to the right, you said."

She started moving, and he saw her going to the left.

"Sorry." he said. "My mistake. I forgot it was reverse. It's on your left."

She corrected herself and took six steps to her left. Then she groped about around her, and finally got her item. At that very moment, the floor started shaking.

" What's going on?" She asked.

"You know about Aladdin?" Donna answered.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you've just taken the magic lamp, and everything is collapsing."

"Guide me to the exit."

She started to run, following the indications they were giving her. She got out of the mirror with a huge smile on her face.

"What's so funny?" David asked.

"To be honest, this is the fun I've been waiting for a long time!" she answered.

"You're not normal."

"Nobody's perfect. As for me, I'm addicted to adrenaline. That's why I love travelling with the Doctor so much. So when I end up risking my life in a maze of death, ruled by someone who calls himself the Game Lord, and who appears to be fond of fantastic creatures and childish literature, well, I'm in heaven!

"I have some kind of respect for him, the Doctor interfered. For my task, he did fool me, and that's really rare. Besides, we never really were in danger."

"Not in danger!" David squawked. "What about the weeping angel?"

"What weeping angel?" the Doctor reacted.

"Well," Donna answered, "he made sure we could find a solution."

"What about you, David?" Enaya asked. "What was your task?"

"I had to crawl in a tunnel, and I'm claustrophobic."

"Well, see the positive way."

"What positive way?"

"Well, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you'll know you can do it."

"Anyway, I'd like to get out of here."

"You're right." the Doctor declared. "Let's go."

So they all walked out of the mirror room, and looked for the way out of the maze. Donna was the first one to see what she thought was a clue. Indeed, engraved in a wall, she saw a phoenix. They decided to get closer, and when they saw how deep the drawing was, the Doctor understood that it was meant to receive their items. Therefore, he asked Enaya to place the bird in the engraving, and then put the flame around it, before asking Donna to place what appeared to be the eyes.

"And what with the wand?" David asked.

"Try to touch its eyes with it." Enaya said after a minute thinking.

"Why the eyes?" He asked.

"Intuition. Trust me."

So, David did as he was told, and concentrating, touched the eyes of the birds, which turned bright green for a second, and the wall slowly started to open. Enaya had a brief laugh.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"The green eyed phoenix." she answered. "It's an old tale from the people that welcomed the Prince when he came to earth. It says that the green eyed phoenix brings back the dead when it descends under the ocean. It's… the green flash you can see sometimes when the sun touch the ocean. And apparently, that's what we're gonna do. Bring back a dead person. Question is: who?

At the time she finished her sentence, the wall had completely opened, and they went in the next room, in which they found a small altar, on which a small object had been placed.

"Sonic!" The Doctor shouted with a big smile.


	16. Chapter 15: arthur

Chapter 15: Arthur

"Well done!" Sounded the Game Lord's voice. "You've earned your clue! And that clue is for you, Enaya. Hear it: the champion can't be one of the three."

"What does it mean?" Donna asked. "That's a rubbish clue!"

"No it isn't." David responded. "I think Enaya is Arthur's descendant. That's why I couldn't find him. Because what I was looking for was just in front of me."

"Yes, indeed, seems like I am Arthur's descendant. But what can we do? I have to be the champion!"

"Oh!" The Doctor suddenly shouted. "I got it! You're gonna have to do it, Enaya."

"Do what?"

"Send that letter! Arthur's descendant, it's Ilian!"

"Who?"

The Doctor had a time of surprise, and then horror appeared on his face when he understood.

"Enaya, please don't tell me that's the memory you put in the mirror." he said.

"What mirror?" Donna asked.

"The mirror…" Enaya whispered. "Ilian… my little boy!"

And then she collapsed. David ran to hold her before she hit the ground, and slowly help her sitting down on the ground.

"What's happening to her?" He asked.

"Brain collapse." the Doctor replied. "She sacrificed her memory of her son and put it in a mirror, so that she could get her item. But the memory was to strong, and now, it's trying to force it's way back into her mind."

"What can we do, then?" Donna asked.

"Talk to her. Don't let her sleep. I have to get this mirror back."

David nodded, and helped Enaya to sit against the wall. He took her hand and started talking to her, as well as Donna, waiting for the Doctor to come back. He did come back fifteen minutes later, with a little mirror in his hand. David and Donna looked at each other, wondering what was going to happen. The Doctor placed the mirror in the girl's hand.

"Look inside it." he gently ordered.

"I can't. I don't want to remember."

"Listen to me. I know it hurts, and I know you'd want to forget what happened, but it's going to kill you. This memory is far too strong, it won't fade away. You have to look inside."

She gave him a desperate look, and then found the strength to look inside the mirror. She tensed her hands and started shaking. The Doctor held her. David and Donna couldn't look away. Suddenly, she gave a brief scream, letting out all at once her rage and her despair, and then dropped the mirror, which broke on the floor. Finally, she breathed deeply several times, while the Doctor repeated her he was sorry.

"What do we do, now, Doctor?" She asked after she calmed down.

"We change things," he declared. "You have to send that letter."

"What letter?" Donna asked.

"After I lost Ilian when I was stabbed, I wrote myself a letter, warning me about the events. I always thought that if I had an occasion, I would send it. Now, we really have to do it. We have to travel back in time."

"And how do you intend to do it without the Tardis?" David asked. "Because we can't actually go for it in the middle of Atlantis…"

"There's someone who can help us." the Doctor affirmed. "We need to go to Cardiff."

"First thing's first, we have to get out of here." Donna pragmatically proclaimed. "Any idea?"

"By any chance…" David said. "Door?"

A moment of embarrassed silence followed that obvious solution no one had thought of. Enaya broke it.

"Good point. Let's go."

So they walked through the door. But what they found on the other side took their breath away. Indeed, in that new room two flying creatures were waiting for them.

"That's impossible…" David whispered.

"Oh my god, look at you, you're beautiful!" The Doctor said.

"But what are they?" Donna asked.

None of them could look away from the creatures.

"The one on the left is a hippogriff." Enaya explained." As for the other one, what do you think Doctor?"

"Well, unless my eyes are betraying me, I'd say it's a Drash."

"And what is a Drash?" David asked.

"Very clever creature." he answered. "They only lived on the planet where Enaya's ancestor was from. That's where I was an ambassador. They are very strong. They can fly for an entire month without getting tired."

"Are they dangerous?" Donna asked.

"Scavengers. But generally they didn't wait until their food died naturally or accidentally. They made it fall from the cliffs."

"That's not exactly good news…" David noted.

"Except it's not an ordinary Drash." Enaya interfered. "This is Reïlok."

The Doctor looked at her.

"It can't be!" He said.

"What is Reïlok?" Donna asked.

"Before he left his planet, my ancestor did something really exceptional." Enaya explained. "He tamed a Drash, and he called him Reïlok, the one who never dies."

The Doctor got closer to Reïlok, and put his hand on the creature's head. He instantly felt that the Drash was reading his mind, and retracing his past, as if it wanted to know if he was worth to be helped. Then, the Alien received a mental image from the creature, accepting to get him and Enaya to Cardiff. He sent back an image, showing David and Donna. As a response, the Drash gave a short scream, scaring the three other humans, and the hippogriff drew up its legs.

"They will take us to Cardiff." the Doctor explained. "David and Donna, you'll go on the hippogriff's back. The Drash only accepts to carry me and Enaya."

"Why do I feel a bit vexed?" Donna sighed.

That's how, an hour later, they ended up on Roald Dahl square, Cardiff.

"Ah!" David expelled. "Torchwood!"

"Yep!" the Doctor confirmed.

He stopped on a precise flagstone near the fountain, where the others joined him, and activated his sonic screwdriver. The flagstone slowly started descending. They were welcomed in Torchwood III's headquarter by a black man with a suspicious look.

"Who are you?" He directly asked.

The Doctor got out of flagstones, as well as the others.

"Rex Matheson." he said.

"No, this is my name."

"Of course it's your name. It's only a way to salute you. You are Rex Matheson, the new immortal."

"I'm gonna repeat my question: who are you? What do you want? And how the hell do you know who I am."

"I'm the Doctor, I want to see Jack, and I always keep an eye on him."

"Doctor who? And who is it with you?"

"It's okay, Rex!" Jack's voice suddenly sounded. "They are welcome here."

He walked to them and saluted them one by one, whispering "damn! So I'm discovered now!" when he saluted David. He instantly noticed that, although she was smiling, Enaya's face looked really tense.

"I suppose that you didn't come for a friendly visit." he concluded.

"We need your vortex manipulator, Jack." the Doctor declared.

"What for?"

Enaya briefly explained him the situation.

"All right, then." he said.

He took the device off of his wrist, and gave it to the girl. She took it, and deep distress appeared in her eyes.

"I can't do it alone, Doctor."

"You won't be alone. I'm coming with you."

"In fact, you'd better all go." Jack interfered. "Let's not create paradoxes."

The Doctor gave Enaya a brief look, and she simply nodded. She put the device on her wrist, and settled the date on the 2nd of June, in 2006, one day before she received fatal provocation from Peterson. They all took her hand or arm.

"Leave at least five minutes between the time you leave and the time you come back." Jack ordered.

Once again, she just nodded, and activated the device.

"And hold your breath!" he said just before they disappeared.


	17. Chapter 16: ilian

Chapter 16: Ilian

When the travel back was over, Enaya felt her heart going faster.

"Everyone all right?" She asked raucously.

The others nodded.

"Fine. I'm gonna give myself that letter."

She started to walk, but the Doctor stopped her.

"Enaya, you can't do that. You can't meet yourself; you know what the consequences would be."

"But we have to be sure I get this letter! We have to be sure I won't accept the fight!"

"Give it to me." David proposed. "I'll bring it myself."

She hesitated.

"Please. Trust me."

She finally accepted, and gave him the letter. He put it in his pocket, and then headed to the building she was living in with Jake. He went to the last floor, and rang the bell. Jake opened the door.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Hello…" David said, baffled.

But he put himself back together.

"I have to deliver a letter for Enaya." he answered.

"Honey!" he called. "There's a letter for you."

Then David saw her walking into the room. She was shining. He had never seen her like this. He noticed the way the two future parents were looking at each other, and his heart clenched when he remembered her face when they faced in his own house.

"A letter for me? " She asked, taking him out of his thought.

He gave her the letter, and she opened it at once. As she was reading, he saw her face tensing, and couldn't help himself from thinking about the face of the other Enaya when they arrived here.

"That's from him, isn't it?" She accused. "He sent you, didn't he?"

"What? No!"

"He paid you to bring me that, hopping that I would refuse the fight so that he could call me a coward, am I right?"

"That's not what you think it is!"

"Well you can tell him," she articulated giving him the letter back violently, "you can tell him his stratagem has failed and that I'll be glad to come and fight him."

"Please listen; I don't know exactly what's in that letter, but it really comes from someone you can trust."

"I never trust strangers."

Feeling he won't convince her, he turned to Jake.

"Please," he said, "I'm begging you, try to convince her."

"Get out of my flat!" she said.

"Listen… just listen…"

She grasped a kitchen knife and pointed it to him.

"I said get out!" she repeated.

David could only obey. He got out of the flat, and rapidly joined the other Enaya at the entrance of the building.

"I refused, didn't I?" She asked.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"No. I am. I must have welcomed you really badly."

Then again, he nodded.

"With a kitchen knife, to be exact…" he said with a half-smile.

Enaya gave a disenchanted laugh.

"That's quite like me."

"But maybe Jake will convince you!" he said with hope.

"No, he won't. I'm a real pighead."

"So what do we do, now?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know." she replied.

"I think I have an idea." Donna suddenly said.

"Really?"

"You said you lost your son during a fight where you were badly injured, am I right?"

"Yes."

"So my question is: how did you survive?"

"Oh!" The Doctor shouted, understanding what she meant.

"Kerdan…" Enaya whispered.

"Can I say I don't understand anything you're talking about without sounding like a wonderful idiot?" David asked ironically.

"Jake told Kerdan, my master, that I was going to fight." Enaya explained. "He followed me, and when he saw I wasn't getting out, he came and found me."

"So," Donna continued, "if we tell him what's gonna happen, he could come in earlier, and stop it from happening."

"Yes, but there's a big chance that he won't believe it." Enaya replied. "Just like I did."

"He will if _you_ tell him." Donna insisted.

Enaya turned to the Doctor.

"Can we do it?" She asked. "Won't it create a paradox or whatever?"

"No, you can. You can't cross your own time line, but if you want to see someone you love, it's okay."

She thanked him, and announced she was leaving immediately, and that she preferred to be alone. So she went to the arms factory where she knew he would be. She found him at the end of the shop, behind his desk, concentrate on his account records. She couldn't help herself from smiling.

"Kerdan?" She gently called.

He looked up at her.

"Enaya!" He said with a smile.

"Yes," she said. "And no."

He frowned.

"I am Enaya." she continued. "But I'm not the one you know. I'm seven years older."

"You came from the future." he concluded. "Why?"

"Because we both need your help. Me and her."

"I'm listening."

"When was it the last time you saw me?"

"Two months ago. You came to tell me you were retiring, because you're gonna have a baby."

"Right, I remember. You said nothing and just hugged me. So you know I'm pregnant."

He nodded, so she told him about her fight against Peterson, and how she owed him life.

"You have to come sooner." she concluded. "This child is the key that could save the world."

"Why didn't you directly go to see your other you?"

"I did it. I wrote a letter and I gave it to her. But she didn't believe it."

"Okay. I'm gonna help you."

And he asked her a few question about the exact circumstances, which she responded precisely. Finally, he promised her he would do whatever he could, she thanked him, and then they said goodbye.

"Explain her." she asked him. "She'll believe you."

He nodded, and she joined David, Donna and the Doctor, who gave her an interrogative look.

"Let's go back." she simply said. "We just have to hope, now."

She gave them her arms, and they all silently clenched on it. She settled the vortex manipulator, and, her eyes closed, activated it. When they got back, she felt the Doctor's hand gently squeezing hers, and thought she had failed. Suddenly, she heard a child's voice.

"Mom?"

She quickly opened her eyes, and saw a seven-years-old boy standing right in front of her. She left the Doctor's hand, and got on her knees.

"Ilian…" she managed to say, smiling and crying at the same time.

She opened her arms, and the little boy ran to her. She kissed him several times, treating him as if he was the most precious thing ever on earth. Touched by that scene, the Doctor took a nearly crying Donna in his arms, while David looked away and Jack simply smiled. They stood this way for a while, until Enaya had put herself back together. Then, Jack gave her a little notebook.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Your diary. I thought it might be useful"

She took it and put it in her bag, realizing that seven years of her life had suddenly changed, and that she didn't know anything about her son. Then, the Doctor proposed that they got back to the Manor and Jack teleported them there. They were welcomed by Martha, who warmly saluted them, before noticing Ilian.

"And who's this little man?" She asked.

"That's Ilian." Enaya answered. "He's my son."

Martha gave her a surprised look, so Ilian started explaining.

"It's quite normal you don't know me. Mom explained me everything, yesterday. The Manor is locked in a space and time bubble, which means whatever happens on the outside has no influence on the inside. Then, I'm glad to meet you Mrs. Jones."

An astonished silence followed that speech, and Martha shook the boy's hand, dumbfounded. The Doctor finally broke the silence, turning to Enaya.

"Well then!" He said. "Your son is nearly as clever as I was at his age."

The boy responded with a large smile, and then turned to his mom.

"Mom, can I go and play?" He asked.

"Of course." she replied.

Ilian ran out of the place with a scream of joy, and she watched him going, completely lost with this new relationship. She shook her head, and took the control of her thoughts back.

"Excuse me." she said.

"You don't have to apologize." David replied. "I mean, I can only imagine the shock it must be! Allow yourself to be human!"

She thanked him with a brief smile.

"Right." the Doctor said. "Now that we are all here, how can we go to Atlantis without the Tardis?"

"Maybe you can bring it back using the key, as you did when Rose saved her father." David proposed.

"Good idea but I can't, I don't have the key."

"Typical!" Donna said, getting a smile from the other girls.

"The Atlantes took it as well." the Doctor continued as if he didn't hear her.

"You mean they have the Tardis AND the key to open it?" Martha reacted.

"No. the Tardis has switched to security mode, and the key is inside. They can't open it."

"Neither can we, though." Donna concluded.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my Tardis, of course I can open it. But that's not the point."

"I need to think about it." Enaya said. "Excuse me."

On these words, she walked away. The Doctor wanted to follow her, but Donna stopped him.

"You should leave her." she said.

"But…"

"Put yourself in her shoes, Doctor." Martha interfered. "She's just found out that she has a seven years old son, and she doesn't know anything about him. She needs some time to accept it."

"Not mentioning the fact that she knows that she's gonna have to put him in danger very soon." David darkly concluded. "As well as all of us."

A long silence followed that declaration, and they all could hear the Manor's main door shutting.

"So we'd better leave her alone." he continued. "I'm gonna do the same. Get some air."

"There's a swimming pool, if you want." Martha said, confused. "Press the red button in the entrance, and no one will disturb you."

He thanked her, and went out of the room. Martha waited a minute, and finally said:

"I… I'm gonna practice Taekwondo."

"What about you Doctor?" Donna asked. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna wait here." he said, staring into space.

And he sat down on the sofa.

"Do you mind if I stay?" She asked.

"Of course not!" He said, surprised by her question.

She nodded and sat next to him, silently.

"Quite comfy what she did with the place…" she said as an anecdote.

He had a brief laugh and then hugged her. Meanwhile, Enaya was alone, sitting on the edge of a bridge. She was reading the notebook Jack had given her.

"I knew you'd be there." she suddenly heard.

She turned to discover Antonio, heading for her. He sat next to her.

"Every time you feel lost, you come where we met." he explained.

"Can I make it, Antonio? Can I be a good mother?"

"I have no doubt. Look at what you've done to bring him back."

"But I don't even know who he is. I didn't raise him, someone else did. I don't know what to do!"

"Trust yourself… did you learn anything with it?" He asked, pointing the notebook.

"This is his whole life. Every event, meticulously reported, with as many details as possible."

"And?"

"I found a solution. But I'm scared to use it."

"It's your decision. We all trust you."


	18. Chapter 17: straight to the end

Chapter 17: straight to the end

An hour later, Enaya came back to the Manor, and asked everybody to come in the living room.

"I can transport us all in Atlantis." she said. "Thanks to Ilian. He shares my gift. The five of us will go and challenge the Puppeteer in good form. Is it okay?"

They all agreed, and she explained everyone what they had to do.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Let's finish it!" David declared.

So she asked them to form a circle, holding each other's hands. Then, she connected her mind with her son, waiting for him to be ready. When she received the signal he was sending her, she counted to three, and they teleported to Atlantis, in the king's hall.

"Ah!" said the Puppeteer with a sinister smile. "State your identities and intentions."

David took a step forward.

"I'm David Tennant, descending from Merlin, and I'm here to claim the right to get Ys back."

Then, Donna joined him.

"I'm Donna Noble. I'm sharing Guinevere's blood, and I'm here to claim the right to get Ys back."

"I'm Ilian, son of Enaya. My ancestor was Arthur Pendragon, and I'm here in his name to claim the right to get Ys back."

Finally, the Doctor started talking, and the façade smile on the Atlante's face faded away for a brief moment.

"I am the Doctor, Time Lord from Gallifrey. As an ambassador from your home planet and from Earth, I'll make sure that you will respect the Ancient Laws."

"And who will be your champion?" The Atlante asked.

"Me."

The Doctor moved to his left, letting Enaya show herself, and the smile came back on the Atlante's face.

"So be it." he said. "Here is my champion."

He clapped his hands, and Jake came out of the shadow. David looked astonished, and Ilian took his hand, needing some comfort. Donna, as for her, proudly stared at the Atlante, while the Doctor gave Enaya an anxious look. She wasn't showing any emotion.

"The challenge will be a fight to death." the Atlante declared with a sadistic smile. "During the fight, you'll be taken to a cell. If your champion fails, you and everyone else who sustained this affront will be killed. If your champion wins, Ys will be yours. As for you, Doctor, if she fails, what I prepare for you is worse than death, and you will beg me to kill you."

"You've killed my child." he replied roughly. "It will be my great pleasure to see you fall."

"Say good bye." the Atlante concluded.

Enaya walked to David, who still held Ilian's hand. She got on her knees to face the child.

"Ilian." she said. "I'm really sorry about this. I would have preferred things to be different, but I have no choice."

The boy left David's hand, and silently held his mother in his arms. They stood this way for a moment, and then she looked up to David, and saw the anxious look on his face. She let her son go, got back on her feet, and looked the actor straight in the eyes.

"Cool off, Dadouchky, we're gonna be all right."

"Please, look after yourself. Don't you dare to die."

And on an impulse, he took her in his arms.

"I'll be careful." she said. "I promise."

He let her go, and she took a few steps back from him, before she saluted Donna and the Doctor with a simple gesture, which they responded the same way. Finally, she turned to the Atlante.

"I'm ready" she declared in a clear voice.

So the Atlante asked the others to follow the guards to the prisons. While he walked out of the hall, Ilian gave a look to his father that sounded like a farewell. In the corridors, Donna found herself walking side by side with David.

"She called you Dadouchky." she said maliciously.

"I know." he replied. "If she does get us out of here, I'm really fine with it."

Donna had a smile. Then, the guards made them stop and enter in a small cell. Donna had a quick look around, and turned to her companions.

"Me, locked in a cell with at least two very unlikely persons… does it ring any bells?"

"Jenny!" David and the Doctor said in a same voice.

They looked at each other.

"It's… it's how I met my wife." David explained, uncomfortable. "On this episode. She _was_ Jenny."

The Doctor nodded.

"Do you think it would work if I used her technique to distract the guards?" Donna proposed.

The two men looked at each other, and smiled.

"You are stupid!" Donna faked getting upset. "At least my husband has good taste."

Then silence fell, and they all sat down in a corner, waiting. An hour had passed, when suddenly David started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Donna asked.

"I had such a peaceful life!" he explained. "I mean, before you bumped up into my house, I was just a normal man. I had a wife, children, a wonderful job, I wasn't asking for anything. And then, you entered my life, you made me leave home because I descend from an old freaking wizard, Enaya hypnotized me, I got locked in in a labyrinth by some kind of freak, I flied on a hippogriff… I mean, _I flied on a hippogriff_! And now, look at me. I'm locked in an Atlante's prison with an alien, a ginger woman and a kid who shouldn't even exist, and we are all patiently waiting for someone to come and kill us. And I can't even blame you for that, do you know why?"

"Because it's not our fault?" Donna asked.

"No! Because I've never felt so alive! It's just too bad it happens exactly when I'm going to die."

"No one's gonna die today except my dad." Ilian darkly affirmed.

"How could you possibly know?"

"Mom can kill someone in less than a minute in a fight. I think her best time is twelve seconds. Daddy doesn't have a chance, even if the Puppeteer increased his abilities."

"Then why does it take so long?"

"There's a ritual to respect, in that precise case." the Doctor explained. "I'm not even sure that the fight has started yet. Besides, Enaya respects Jake too much to kill him in twelve seconds, I think. I'm so sorry you have to witness it, Ilian."

"Don't be, sir. I never knew him. But it's mom I worry about. She's gonna hate herself for that."

The little boy suddenly looked away. Donna got up and went to him, and then took him on his shoulder, firmly but gently.

"Ilian, I want you to listen to me very carefully, boy." she ordered him. "Despite what you say, I know it's really hard for you because this is your mommy and your daddy. But your mommy loves you, and she's doing it for you. She wants to make sure that you'll have a better life."

"I know. It's because of me."

"It's not _because _of you. You mustn't feel guilty about anything. I don't know whose fault it is, I don't even know if it's anyone's fault. But it's not yours. That is certain."

"Then why does she look so sad? And why did she leave, earlier?"

"Because it's really difficult for her. Before today, she never saw you; she thought she had lost you forever. So you're gonna have to help her. And I know it will be difficult for you as well, but you'll see: things are gonna be just fine."

"But there's something else, isn't there? There's something else that makes her sad."

"Yes, Ilian, there is." the Doctor answered. "Your mother loves you so much. And she's scared and sad because she didn't want to put you in danger. She's afraid to lose you."

"Not only him. All of you."

That was Enaya's words. They all turned to her. They hadn't heard the door opening. She was standing up in the doorway. They all looked at her, waiting for her to say something.

"It's over." she declared. "We're going home."

Then, she screamed out of pain, and took her wrist in her hand. The Doctor ran to her.

"It's okay!" she said. "It's just the number changing."

"Let me see."

She took her hand off, and the Doctor noticed that the number had changed, indeed.

"Did you look?" He asked

She shook her head.

"You should."

Unwillingly, she did as he said, and opened wide eyes. Indeed, the number tattooed on her wrist was now 301. She looked at the Doctor, astonished, and he smiled.

"I bet Ilian has changed many, many things." he said.

"I propose we get away from here." Donna said.

They all agreed, and the Atlantes guided them to the Tardis. The Doctor clicked his fingers and the door opened, letting them go home.


	19. epilogue: good things happen

Epilogue: good things happen.

A month had gone by since they had come back from Atlantis. The Atlantes had been banned from earth, Ys had risen again, and all the prisoners had woken up, except for the two ones who already had transmitted their power to Chris and Maggie. Then, everyone had returned to their own lives. Enaya was building a new relationship with her son. The Doctor kept travelling, alone but serene. Donna went back home with her husband, and David got back his family and career. The three humans kept meeting occasionally. David and Donna were glad to learn that Enaya had got engaged with Freddie, her second true love. A month later, then, Enaya and Ilian had the surprise to see the Tardis landing in their living room. The Doctor got out, particularly feverish.

"Come!" He nearly ordered.

She noticed that he was sweating, and that his hands were shaking and shinning.

"Doctor, what's going on?" She worried.

"I did something good!" he replied. "Hurry up, we're running out of time!"

They didn't ask for more, and went into the Tardis, where they had the surprise to see David, Donna, William and Chris. As happy as a child on Christmas day, the Doctor pulled the levers, flying around the control desk. When the ship finally stopped, he gave them some clothes, and ordered them to get changed quickly. More curious at every second, they obeyed, wondering what the Time Lord had been preparing for them. When they came back, he was standing next to the door, which he opened.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Jiranatla." he declared solemnly.

It was a big shock to Enaya when she saw this green and shiny area in front of her, and she felt tears coming to her eyes. She turned to the Doctor and he smiled back at her. He had revived the planet and that's why he was regenerating. He got out of the Tardis, and invited the others to follow him. He led them into a palace, to a sealed door. Then he took the medallion Enaya had given him from around his neck, and used it as a key to open the door. In the room was standing a glass coffin, where was laying a wonderful blond woman, who looked like she had just fallen asleep.

"This is the princess." the Doctor explained. "She's the reason why I brought life to this planet again."

Then, he asked the others to make a line in front of him. On a table behind him, he took a box among six, opened it, and took a golden circle out of it. Then, he turned to David, which heart started beating faster.

"This planet needs a kingdom." The Doctor declared. "That's why, David, I make you the new King of Jiranatla. Be worthy of it. Very soon, people will come back to live on this planet."

David bowed, and the Doctor placed the crown on his head. Then, he took the second crown, and continued the ceremony.

"As for you, Chris, you will carry the Eldest crown. May you be fairer than him."

And he kept going.

"William, I name you the new Puppeteer. Rule with justice."

The next crown was much smaller. He got on his knees to face its new owner.

"Ilian," he declared, "you who descend from Arthur and from the prince, his crown belongs to you. May you be as kind and caring as he was."

Then, he opened the last but one box, and took a silver crown out of it.

"Enaya, to you who saved my life and reminded me of my princess, nothing will suit you better than her crown. Be worthy of it".

"I will." She promised.

He finally took the last box, the smallest one, and took a ring out of it, before turning to Donna.

"Donna. My dear Donna, my most faithful companion. It was my honor to travel with you. By this ring, I give you the most important role. I give you my own role. For now, you are the ambassadress between earth and this kingdom."

Then, he spoke to everyone.

"These rings and crowns were forged in a dwarf star, with a bit of Time Lord's technology. It will allow you to travel between here and earth as many times as you want. Long live Jiranatla."

Suddenly, he collapsed. Enaya and Donna helped him to get up, and they all went back to the Tardis. He headed to the control desk, but Enaya stopped him, gently but firmly.

"why don't you let us drive for once?" she proposed.

He nodded, and guided them as well as he could. Then came the time to say goodbye.

"will I have a clue for my next regeneration?" he asked.

Enaya smiled, and then answered

"Amelia Pond. Leadworth, 1996. Ask her for an apple."

"I can tell you what will be your favorite dish." David said with a smile.

"go on…" the Doctor replied.

"Fish fingers and custard."

"Yuck. You're pranking me!"

"If you say so…"

"Amelia Pond, Leadworth, 1996, apple." The Doctor repeated. "I'm gonna go right know."

They all understood the message, got out of the Tardis, and watched him disappear, with a lump in their throat.

"So I am King Dadouchky, now, I guess!" David said to improve the atmosphere. "I rather like this."

It did work, and they separate shortly after.

"Goodbye, your majesties." They said to each other.

When she went back to Jiranatla a few weeks later, Enaya instantly noticed something had changed. She saw footprints on the ground, followed them, and ended up with a gun pointed on her. She recognized the gun carrier: it was Jenny.

"Who are you?" she asked with a very clear voice. "and what do you want?"

"I am Enaya." Enaya replied. "I'm a friend of the Doctor. He made me the Princess of this place"

Jenny put her gun down, and Enaya saw a little boy getting out from where he was hiding. The boy was around five years old.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"His name is Aaron. I found him here, locked behind a wall, five years ago. He was just a baby."

"That's impossible…"

"Excuse me?"

"if what you're saying is true… it means that he's the son of the Princess. The one before me. And if it is so, it also means… he's your brother"

"What do you mean "he's my brother"?"

"The Doctor was an ambassador on this planet. He fell in love with the Princess, and she fell pregnant. He's been banished, and the child has been locked behind a wall in a small room. Centuries ago. This means he never stopped regenerating, until you found him. You told me his name was Aaron? Interesting."

"Why is that?"

"Aaron is the word for _life_, in this planet. We have to let the Doctor know."

She concentrated, and sent him a telepathic message, asking him to come at once. A few minutes later, the Tardis materialized, and the Doctor, with his eleventh face, got out with Clara.

"what? What is? What's going on?... Jenny?" he asked when he recognized her.

"Doctor? What's going on? Who is she?" Clara asked.

"She… she's my daughter…"

"Dad?" Jenny asked. "is that really you? You've changed your face!"

"But… but you were… I hold you in my arms! How is it possible?"

"Looks like your children have your ability to regenerate, Doctor." Enaya said. "I knew it for Jenny, but I didn't know for Aaron."

"A… Aaron? Who's Aaron?" he asked, completely lost.

"He was born here" Jenny explained gently. "I found him… a little baby, so small, locked behind a wall…"

The Doctor fell to his knees.

"My… My son? The child of the princess?"

The boy got closer to him. They exchanged a long look, understanding who each other was, and then the Doctor took him in his arms and held him. Enaya decided it was time for her to leave, and without a word, without a sound, she left and disappeared, leaving the Doctor with his new family, which he presented to Clara.

THE END


End file.
